


Mo Chridhe, M'anam

by Breezy_Meadows



Category: Sons of Anarchy
Genre: Daddy Chibs, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-26
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-10 07:21:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 15
Words: 42,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27719462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Breezy_Meadows/pseuds/Breezy_Meadows
Summary: My Heart, My SoulIsabelle and August are taken in by a couple SAMCRO men and raised as theirs. This is the story of their lives in the biker family. Izzy- from falling in love with her best friend and SAMCRO legacy to getting kidnapped and beyond. Auggie- from keeping Izzy safe and being accepted for his orientation to tragic loss and sacrifices.
Relationships: Chibs Telford/Original Female Character(s), Opie Winston/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 61
Kudos: 24





	1. Street Kids

**Author's Note:**

> Wee bit different from what my Flanaclan sisters are used to me writing but this is one of two stories I've been working on for a long ass time and I think it's time to start sharing it.
> 
> This won't be completely canon. I'll use parts of SOA but I'm not following things exactly. And if I have to point out I don't own SONS or their characters, just... no. *shakes head*
> 
> For Lulu: FINALLY! I begin to share the story that helped kickstart this awesome friendship! :-)

Filip "Chibs" Telford groaned as he stepped out of the clubhouse into the bright California morning sunshine. He shoved his sunglasses on quickly and pulled his grey work shirt on over his black t-shirt, preparing for a shift in the garage. He nod to the others milling around the lot in preparation for the day. As he rolled his shoulders and gathered his thoughts, a metallic crash and shouting pulled everyone's attention towards the entrance gate. He hurried to the corner of the building and looked around the corner to see Clarence "Clay" Morrow yelling and waving his arms aggressively as two small children scrambled away in fear. Some of the guys, including himself, rushed down to see what was going on.

  
"Get outta here!" Clay shout once more as the little pair gained their footing and ran down the sidewalk as fast as they could. He let out a grunt of satisfaction once they'd vanished around the end of the block before leaning over and righting a garbage tin.

  
"Wha' the hell was tha' abou'?" Chibs asked, already angry at the way his club Vice President handled a couple harmless babies. Clay slammed the lid back on the can and turned around.

  
"Little shits were goin' through our trash." He grumbled, kicking a stray crumpled paper bag for emphasis. Piermont "Piney" Winston stepped forward with a growl.

  
"They were just little kids!" He shout at the younger man. "Looked like a couple street kids. Skin and bones, filthy, probably looking for scraps to eat!"

  
"That was uncalled for, brother." Robert "Bobby Elvis" Munson sighed.

  
"They shouldn't be goin' through our trash." Clay tried to defend himself, quickly seeing no one else felt as he did. "Nothin' in there but engine grease and broken beer bottles."

  
"Well, they did'nae know tha'." Chibs argued, gesturing in the direction the kids ran. "Yer a bloody knobhead fer scarin' the wee ones like tha'."

  
"They still shouldn't have been pokin' around here." Clay argued in another futile attempt to get the guys to see his reason. Before the other Sons and mechanics could further berate him, another voice cut in.

  
"What's done is done." Everyone turned their attention to the man that just joined the group. "Clay, open the garage, we're late. C'mon guys." John "JT" Teller urged, diffusing the situation before the guys could do anything more to Clay and his ego. Bobby and Piney grumbled more insults about Clay but followed him towards the garage to start work. JT picked up an old, broken clipboard and tossed it in the other garbage can before slapping a hand on Chibs' shoulder, who'd been staring off down the street with his hands on his hips. "Move the cans inside the gate, will ya?" John asked, pulling Chibs from his thoughts.

  
"Aye." He agreed quietly.

  
"And load a lunch cooler with some leftovers from yesterday's birthday dinner." Chibs rasied an eyebrow, confused by his president's request. "You're on repos with Piney. Bring it. Maybe you'll find those hungry street kids digging through someone else's trash."

*****

As if JT was Miss Cleo in disguise, his prediction came true. After five hours of driving back and forth around town repossessing vehicles, Piney pulled the TM tow truck along the curb in front of their next repo on main street and Chibs caught sight of something down the alley across the street. He hopped out of the cab and took a few steps forward, getting a better view. Sure enough, he saw a little dirt covered child standing on a stack of boxes next to a big, red dumpster. A moment later, another child's head popped up from inside the trash and passed a couple old Chinese takeout boxes to the other one before climbing out and jumping to the ground. Ignoring Piney's calls for his attention, Chibs retrieved the small food cooler from the floor of the cab and jogged across the street. He slowed to a walk and moved into the alley to find the children. He heard rustling further into the dead end space and spotted a large cardboard box open on the side, a stick propping the top flap up and a sneakered foot sticking out.

  
"Hello." He spoke, trying to sound light and cheery. The foot stopped wiggling and slowly disappeared into the box. "No, it's alrigh', wee ones." He tried quickly to soothe their obvious concern and fear. He cautiously stepped closer, bending to see into the box. "I brough' ya some food." He gestured to the bright red cooler in his hand. He inched forward but backed up faster with his hands up when the two kids scrambled and pressed their backs further into the back of the box to get away. Chibs crouched down to better see them. "It's okay, kiddo. I'm no' here fer bad." He said to the one that seemed to be a boy and older than the other one, a girl. Siblings?

  
"What you want, mister?" The boy asked, his voice quivering as he wrapped his arms around the younger girl to protect her from the strange man. Chibs heart broke for them. He sat on the cleanest spot of the filthy ground he could find with his back to the wall across the alley from them and set the cooler in front of him.

  
"I wan' ta give ya somethin' ta eat." He said gently. "Somethin' bett'a than tha'." He gestured to the spilt containers of questionable fried rice and some kind of chicken and sauce deal. "Look." He opened the cooler's lid and pulled out some of the disposable containers, holding each one up. "Got some bangers n' mash, chicken, rolls, this here is some grilled veggies, uh this is meatballs, sliced apples, oh an' this is me fave." He held up one more container with bright eyes and a wide smile. "Banana chocolate chip cookies." He watched the little girl's eyes light up at the mention of cookies and wriggled free from the boy. She hurried out of the box and closer to Chibs.

  
"Can I has cookie?" She asked quietly while she ground the toe of her ratty sneaker into the ground nervously.

  
"Sure, lass." He opened the lid and held the container out. The little girl took the biggest cookie on top and nibbled at it tenatively. Once satisfied with the taste, she took a larger bite and munched away happily. Chibs took in her looks. Under the streaks of dirt and filth, she was a little cutie. Long, light brown straight hair in unfortunate knots and disarray. Deep hazel eyes, button nose, pale skin. She was wearing a frilly pink dress and damaged blue jeans with what were once white sneakers, the velcro kind. "Wha's yer name, lassie?" He asked gently as she stared at him.

  
"Izzy." She said in a soft voice. She turned and pointed at the boy still in the box and turned back. "That Auggie." Chibs tilt his head to see past Izzy. The boy was dressed in denim overalls and green shirt. His tennis shoes had laces and used to be blue. The boy's hair was cropped short and uneven, patches thicker than others showing how dark it was. His eyes were a dull grey blue. He was crunched up with his knees to his chest but Chibs could see the boy was all long limbs.

  
"Would ya like somethin', lad? Cookie? I 'ave some bottles of apple juice." At the mention of juice, Auggie perked up but didn't move. Chibs hand a bottle to Izzy who trot over and gave the boy his drink before trotting back and asking for one herself.

  
For close to ten minutes, Chibs sat in the alley and gently questioned the little girl who easily answered as best she could. She seemed eager to talk to someone and have their attention on her. He enticed more detailed answers from her with the cookies. The more detailed her answer, the bigger the chunk of cookie he gave her. Just as he was down to the last cookie, Piney ambled into the mouth of the alley and roughly yelled at him. It scared the children, the little girl yelped as she dove into her cardboard sanctuary. Chibs glared at the older man. Piney was unfazed by the withering look and told him he was ready to go before leaving, assuming Chibs would catch up. Chibs groaned as he shuffled to a standing position. After a few stretches to loosen stiff muscles, he picked up the cooler and brought it closer to the box. He set it just outside of it and crouched down.

  
"Don' eat it all in one sittin'. You'll get a tummyache. Okay?" Izzy and Auggie nodded, relaxing their tense bodies once they determined the big, grumpy guy was gone.

  
"Bye-bye, Chibby." Izzy said softly, a sad smile on her face as she waved. Chibs gave a tight smile in return and waved before leaving the pair. He felt awful for it but had no idea what to do.

  
Once he and Piney returned with the latest repo, Chibs spot Deputy Chief of Police Wayne Unser by the office and his police cruiser in the garage getting a new tire. He quickly made his way over to the man.

  
"Oh, hey, Chibs." Unser greeted.

  
"I need ya ta find anythin' ya can on these two." Chibs said, screwing formalities and getting to the point, handing a piece of paper to Unser. After his chat with the two homeless children, he'd written down everything he could remember Izzy telling him about them and descriptions of the pair.

  
"Isabelle and August." Wayne read. "Who are they?"

  
"Couple'a street kids. Wee ones, too. Can' be more'n five an' seven, give or take." Unser eyed the Scotsman wearily.

  
"Right. And what are they to you?" Chibs squint at the officer in annoyance.

  
"S'cuse me fer bein' concerned abou' the well-bein' of two wee bairns livin' on the streets o' yer town, Deputy." He snapped. "Clay found 'em dumpster divin' this mornin'. Jus' see if ya can find anythin' else on 'em. Pay the home they ran from a visit. Ya know... do yer job." He snarked as he turned and walked into the garage to work. Unser huffed and turned to Clay as the man came over with a work order to sign.

  
"Car's ready." Clay gruffed, passing the clip board to his friend. He followed Wayne's eye line. "Chibs got your panties in a bunch?"

  
"Huh?" The cop snapped out of his glaring. "Oh. It's nothin'. Just asked me to look into somethin' for him." There was a moment when the VP eyed him suspiciously. "Personal, not club." He added before Clay could press further. He signed the paper, handing the clipboard back and taking his keys as Clay held them out.

It would be a while before Unser made progress with the Scotsman's request, but Chibs was determined to find out why they'd run off. Izzy hadn't given a noteworthy answer but he'd seen the fear in August's eyes at the mention of the old foster home. Something scared them off and they had no plans of returning there.


	2. Kids Meet Another Son

  
Tig growled in annoyance. Over the past month, anyone on repo duty with Chibs had to deal with his inexplicable need to track down these little street rats and feed them. Guys like Bobby or JT didn't seem to mind it but Tig just wanted to get the work done. Sooner it was done, the sooner he would be drowning in booze and pussy.

  
Just when he thought they'd finish the shift without the good Samaritan side quest, they were getting an old white Chevy Cavalier hooked to the tow truck near the big park on the edge of town and Chibs spot the two kids sitting under a tree watching all the other kids playing on the playground structures. Chibs told Tig he'd be back in a bit and jogged off with his stupid red lunch cooler. After fifteen minutes of Tig sitting in the truck after the car was hooked up, he'd had enough and stomped his way to his club brother. He slapped him roughly on the back.

  
"Gotta go, brother." He gruffed down at Chibs who was crouched beside the kids and talking with them as they ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Chibs and the kids looked up at him in surprise as they hadn't heard them approach. Out of all the times he's been with Chibs on tow duty, this was the first time he'd come near the kids, usually choosing to stay by the truck and shout a lot for his patch brother.

  
"Hey, you're the loud one." The little girl accused, pointing a tiny finger up at Tig. Chibs snickered as he watched Tig glare. Izzy seemed unfazed by the look and held an unopened sandwich up high. "Want one? Chibses gots us all kinds'a jellies. Dis is the last orange marma-armaled." She offered, butchering the word 'marmalade' adorably. Tig's glare dropped and he looked between the sandwich and the little girl. He sighed and knelt beside Chibs.

  
"No, thank you, babydoll." He said politely. He may have originally found Chibs doing this to be annoying but the little girl offering him her food when she barely had any to begin with warmed his cold black heart. "I'm not hungry." He lied when he saw a frown starting to form on her tiny lips. It disappeared with his explanation and she shrugged.

  
"What's yer name, mister?" Auggie piped up, tenatively looking up at Tig. Chibs answered before he could.

  
"Tha's my brother, Tigger." He grinned as Izzy tilt her head curiously like a puppy.

  
"Like Winnie the Pooh's friend?"

  
"Kinda." He shrugged. "Chibs tells me you're Izzy." He said, earning a giggle and nod from the girl. He looked to the boy. "And you're Auggie."

  
"Yup." Auggie confirmed before taking the last bite of his sandwich.

  
"Righ', well, I guess Tigger and I bes' be headin' back." Chibs announced, groaning as he stood up and stretched. Tig stood as well and watched as Izzy got up quickly and jumped at Chibs who easily caught her and hugged her little body against his chest. Auggie stood up and gave Chibs a quick hug. "Ye'll go ta the shelter t'nigh', aye?" He asked, looking down at the little boy.

  
"Yes, sir." Auggie answered with an affirmative nod. "Miss Jean said if we get there before seven, we can have some hot cocoa b'fore bed."

  
"Oh wow, tha's a sweet deal, eh Tiggy?" Chibs nudged him with his elbow, still holding Izzy who seemed content to cling to his neck.

  
"Oh, yeah! With mini marshmallows or whipped cream?" He asked, sounding excited.

  
"Izzy likes the whipped cream, I prefer mallows." Auggie explained, matching Tig's excitement.

  
"Right on, little man." Tig said, offering his fist. Auggie happily bumped his smaller one against his before his face fell.

  
"'Cept, I don't gots a watch to know when it's seven." Tig felt this strange pang in his chest and pulled his old gold pocketwatch from his pocket, unclipping it from his belt loop.

  
"You tell time, kid?" He asked. Auggie nodded apprehensively, curious as Tig crouched in front of him and held the item up. "This is called a pocketwatch." He explained, pressing the button on top that popped the lid open. The clockface was black while the numbers and arms were gold. The quarterly numbers were larger than the others but the ones in between were still numbers instead of lines so he figured that was good for the little boy. He pointed to where the seven was. "You wanna get to the shelter before the shorter, fatter arm reaches the seven. That tells you the hours. The long arm is for minutes. This skinny ticking one counts the seconds. Every time the long one goes completely around and reaches the twelve, another hour has passed."

  
"So the closer the long one gets to the twelve, the closer the fat arm gets to the next number?" Auggie guessed nervously. Tig smiled.

  
"Absolutely right, little man." He praised, smiling wider when Auggie's eyes lit up. "Here." He said, moving closer and attaching the clip to Auggie's jeans like it had been to his own. He snapped the watch closed and handed it to the boy. "You hold onto that so you don't miss out on hot chocolate tonight, okay?"

  
"Thank you, Mister Tigger." Auggie said quietly, stepping into the older man and hugging him. Tig stayed stalk still in shock for a moment before patting the little boy's back with one hand.

  
"No problem, kid." He gently pulled Auggie by the upper arm away from him so he could stand up. "Just promise you won't lose it." He warned softly.

  
"I won't, I promise." Auggie nodded. Tig nod once before looking at his brother as the man was finally getting Izzy to let go.

  
"I gotta go, wee bug." The Scotsman said softly as he crouched back down. Once Izzy's feet touched the ground she reluctantly pulled back.

  
"Okay, Chibby." She said sadly, giving him a little kiss on the cheek.

  
"I'll see ye again, okay?" He promised warmly. She nodded and stepped back, kicking at the grass.

  
"Miss Jean says she talked ta the orphan place. She wants us to go."

  
"Well, wha's wrong wit' tha'?" Chibs asked, trying to sound cheery about the prospect even though he felt a lump form in his throat. "Ye'd be aroun' other kids. An' maybe ye'll find a new mum an' da." Izzy just shrugged, still kicking at the ground and not looking at him. Auggie took the little girl's hand.

  
"I promised Miss Jean we'd see the orphanage but if Izzy doesn't like it, we're not gonna stay there." He told the men, as if either child would have much of a say in the matter. Chibs smiled tenderly at him.

  
"Good lad." He ruffled Auggie's hair which had finally been growing in properly after a trip to Floyd's for a quick buzz to even it out. Chibs stood up again and motioned to Tig for them to go.

  
"Bye, Chibby. Bye, Tigger." Izzy mumbled with a half-hearted wave. Auggie said goodbye as well, waving with a little more effort.

  
"Bye, babydoll." Tig said as Chibs bid them good day. "Bye, kid. Keep that watch safe." He told Auggie as he walked backwards.

  
"I will!"

  
Back in the cab of the tow truck, Tig started it up and pulled away from the curb. As he pulled up to a stoplight, he realized Chibs was staring at him.

  
"What?" He asked, weirded out by the look on the Scotsman's face.

  
"No' so bad, was it?" Chibs asked with a knowing smirk. Tig sighed with a roll of his eyes but refused to answer as the light turned green and he focused on the drive.


	3. Rescue Sons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter is likely going to be very triggering. Talk of child abuse and sexual abuse.

"GEMMA!" Chibs shout as he burst into the clubhouse. He was absolutely dripping, soaked from the storm that had been going all day. He and Tig were coming back from dropping off the AKs at Bluebird. It was late evening on a Wednesday so there was only a dozen or so Sons, croweaters and hang-arounds scattered around. They all stopped what they were doing to stare at the man. As the Matriarch of SAMCRO rushed out of the kitchen towards him, Tig staggered in behind him. Gemma noticed the large blanket bundle in each of their arms, little pairs of sock covered feet dangling out of one end.

  
"Jesus Christ, what happened?" She asked, unfolding some of the blanket in Chibs' arms to reveal a small child. The little girl was as pale as a ghost and burning up. There was a trickle of blood along her left temple, a small cut evident.

  
"Found 'em out by the warehouse." Chibs said, shifting the little girl slightly into a tighter grip. Gemma moved to Tig to discover a little boy- older than the girl. He was in a similar state as the girl minus the cut and a little more alert.

  
"These are the two you'd been feeding, isn't it?" Gemma asked Chibs as she directed the pair to follow her to the dorms in back.

  
"Aye. Hadn' seen 'em since the shelter woman brough' 'em ta tha' orphanage in Lodi three weeks ago. Dunno how they managed ta ge' ta the warehouse or why. If Tiggy hadn' chucked his dud lighter, we migh' no' 'ave seen 'em. Lighter hit one o' the oil drums an' scared Auggie. Found 'em hidin' in the brush."

  
Gemma took them into the one large dorm room that they used for the prospects and guest brothers. Multiple beds in the room and the en suite bathroom was the only one with a bathtub, not a shower. She instructed the guys to set the children on one of the beds while she called for a couple croweaters to bring some medical supplies and hot tea. Tig and Chibs stood there, staring at the kids laying on the bed. Both men were scared, concerned, and creating a large puddle on the floor.

  
"You two go change and dry off. You'll be no help until you do." Gemma urged as she shooed them out the door after the croweaters came in and began unwrapping Izzy and Auggie from the blankets. Gemma shut the door in the guys' faces.

  
Chibs rushed to the dorm he typically used on nights he was too drunk to get home and yanked some clothes out of the dresser. He peeled his sopping clothes off, leaving them in a pile on the floor and hanging his kutte on the back of the desk chair before snatching a towel and quickly rubbing it over his body and through his short hair. His hair spiked all over the place but he couldn't be bothered to fix it as he scrambled into a fresh pair of boxers, grey sweatpants, and some house slippers. He flung open the door and returned to the hallway as he pulled his navy blue SAMCRO t-shirt over his head. Tig was exiting a dorm a few seconds after wearing a grey Reaper hoodie, black sweatpants and socks. Chibs knocked on the door of the big dorm and entered after he heard someone bid them enter. Tig followed, leaving the door open.

  
The blonde croweater and Gemma were in the bathroom as the red head was in the bedroom helping Auggie into some motorcycle pajamas. They recognized the jammies as some of Gemma's and JT's son, Jackson's. Gemma must've left some of her son's clothes in the clubhouse after the last lockdown. Tig went and sat in a desk chair and watched the croweater attempt to get the boy to drink some warm tea while Chibs went to the doorway of the bathroom. Gemma and the blonde were kneeling on the small area rug by the tub and had Izzy in a bubbly bath. Despite the women's attempts at making the little girl smile, Izzy just sort of sat there and let them move her around like a doll. It wasn't until Chibs made his presence known that the little girl showed any real signs of life.

  
"How's m'wee bug?" He asked softly. At the sound of his voice, all three bathroom occupants turned their heads. A small smile appeared on Izzy's face and she tried to stand up, slipping and sliding on the slick porcelain. The croweater was instructed by Gemma to get her washed off, out, dried and into the clothes she'd had on the sink counter. Then, Gemma got up and motioned Chibs back into the bedroom, shutting the door behind them. They took a surprised moment to realize Auggie was bundled into one of the double beds and Tig was stretched out beside him but on top of the covers and they were reading a motorcycle magazine together. The red headed croweater seemed to have gathered the wet clothes and blankets and left the room already. Gemma giggled lightly before turning her attention back to Chibs.

  
"She'll be okay. They both will be." She told him, watching the relief wash over the Scotsman's face. "Gave 'em both medicine for their fevers and some hot tea. Izzy's wound was just a scratch. Auggie told us she got it when they were crawling through the bushes behind Bluebird. Gave him a quick wash before her bath. Auggie must be the same age as Jackson, his pajamas fit him well. Izzy will swim a little in the ones I grabbed for her but she'll be fine."

  
"Thanks, Mum." Chibs gave her a kiss on the cheek and hugged her.

  
"No problem, sweetheart. Happy to help. You and Tig did good." She praised making his cheeks rosy. The bathroom door opened and the croweater came out holding Izzy who was now sporting dinosaur pajamas with the sleeves and legs rolled at the ends so her hands and feet were free. She squirmed in the woman's arms and reached frantically for Chibs, making small whining noises. Chibs quickly gathered the little girl into his arms.

  
"Chibby." Isabelle whimpered. Chibs and Gemma felt their hearts shatter.

  
"It's alrigh', lass." Chibs soothed as she wrapped her little arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder. He automatically started rubbing her back as he rocked and bounced softly. A throat clearing brought their attention to the door to the hallway to see the croweater had left and JT had come to see what was going on. The club president looked from Tig and Auggie to Gemma to Chibs and Izzy and back a few times before his wife took his hand and led him back to the bar, shutting the door behind them and assuring she'd give him the details. "Hey, Tiggy, ya don' hafta sta-" Chibs was cut short mid-sentence when he saw Tig and August were fast asleep. Tig was on his side with one arm under his head, his free hand supporting his body on the bed so he wouldn't roll forward and squish the boy. August was on his back, one hand clutching the motorcycle magazine to his chest and his free hand resting on Tig's hand on the bed. His little fingers were wrapped securely around Tig's pointer finger.

  
"We stay?" Izzy's little voice broke the silence in the room. She had lifted her head up and seen Tig and Auggie sleeping. "Sleep in a real bed?" She asked. She was visibly sleepy but her voice pitched a bit with excitement at the prospect of staying.

  
"Aye, little one. Ya get ta sleep in a big, warm bed tonigh'." Chibs chuckled at the bright smile that appeared at his response. He pulled the covers down and set Izzy on the bed nearest them. With as much enthusiasm as a sick and exhausted five year old could muster, she scampered to the pillows and laid down. She wiggled and shimmied herself into the bed as Chibs brought the blankets up and tucked her in.

  
"You not going, right? Staying?" She asked when she saw him stand and reach for the lamp on the small bedside table. Chibs hesitated, not sure what to do. He looked at the little girl with the pleading eyes then looked to his other side where his club brother and the little boy were fast asleep. He sighed.

  
"I'll stay." He said with a small smile. Isabelle's tired face lit up and she further sunk into the comfort of the bed. Chibs shut the light off and the room was cast in a soft glow from the full moon outside, now visible as the storm had passed. He grabbed a spare blanket from the footlocker at the end of the bed and carefully climbed onto the bed. He moved to the far side by the wall and covered himself with the blanket. Much like Tig, he stayed on top of the covers. He laid on his side, facing Izzy and beyond her, he could see Auggie and Tig. He got as comfortable as he could in the space he had, putting a little distance between himself and Izzy.

  
"Night-night, Chibby." Izzy yawned as she closed her eyes.

  
"Goodnigh', Izzy." He replied warmly. He closed his eyes and let himself relax. After a few quiet minutes of listening to the muffled sounds of everyone in the clubhouse, he felt Isabelle wiggling around and grab his arm. He opened his eyes to find she'd turned her little back to him and scoot into his chest. She'd pulled his arm over herself and hugged her little arms around his wrist and forearm. His palm was flat on the edge of her pillow and she had put her head atop his fingers essentially trapping him. Chibs felt a flutter in his stomach and squeeze in his chest. In the last few months, he'd taken time almost every day to track down these two kids and make sure they had food. If he had to go on a run, he task a prospect or croweater with doing it. That was, until they were finally sent to the orphanage. At the time, he'd thought it was for the best. He wasn't so sure now. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't grown attached to the little ones and it was clear now that atleast Isabelle was attached to him.

  
Chibs carefully leaned over and placed a soft kiss to the little girl's mess of damp hair, making a silent promise to protect her better from here on.

*****

Chibs startled awake to something poking his cheek. He opened his eyes slowly and was met with little hazel eyes staring intently at him mere inches away.

  
"Mornin', Chibby." Izzy greet and sat back on her heels. He stretched and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

  
"Good mornin', lass." He mumbled through a yawn. He looked to the other bed and saw it was empty.

  
"Mr. Tiggy and Auggie out there with the Gemma lady. She promised French toast!" She squealed with excitement. Chibs chuckled. He reached out and felt her forehead. She didn't feel hot like last night and the color was back in her face. "Feel all better." She told him, knowing what he was doing.

  
"Tha's good, lass. Now, le's go get breakfast." He tossed his blanket off as she rolled off the bed and danced in place, waiting for him to get up. She grabbed his fingers in her tiny hand and pulled with all her strength- which wasn't any really- so Chibs got up like she was helping him and allowed her to drag him down the hall to the clubhouse where she finally let go. He watched her race to a table where Tig and Auggie sat, stuffing their faces with French toast, bacon, eggs, and mixed fruit. Bobby appeared from the kitchen almost as soon as Izzy had climbed into her seat. He set a plate of pre-cut food and a glass of orange juice in front of her.

  
"Thank you, Mr. Bobby." He heard her chirp before she grabbed a strawberry.

  
"You are most welcome, little darlin'." The rotund man replied with a chuckle. Chibs made his way behind the bar and grabbed a random coffee mug and a tea bag. The coffee machine was much like you find in restaurants with multiple warmers for pots. Thankfully, everyone had gotten into the habit of making a hot water pot and setting it on one of the warmers for him to have tea sometimes. Once he'd poured the water and added milk, he joined Tig and the kids. Gemma appeared shortly with a plate of breakfast for him which he kissed her hand for. The Matriarch ruffled his bedhead hair with a smirk before joining her husband, Bobby and Clay at another table.

  
Chibs couldn't see the glare coming from his VP as his back was to them but he heard the scoff. He looked over his shoulder and met eyes with Clay. The older man plastered a smile on and raised his coffee mug in greeting before sipping it and turning back to the newspaper in his other hand.

  
"Mmm, this is really good Mrs. Gemma!" Izzy called out around her mouthful of scrambled eggs. Everyone- save for Clay- laughed lightly.

  
"That's high praise. Thank you, Izzy." She replied with a bright smile.

  
"Don' talk wit' yer mouth full, Isabelle. It's impolite." Chibs chide lightly with a grin. Izzy swallowed.

  
"Sorry, Chibby."

  
"S'alrigh', bug." Once again, he missed the looks coming from the other table, though three of those looks were more positive than the fourth. He sipped his tea before turning his attention to Auggie for a moment. "How'd ye sleep, lad?" August, unlike his foster sister, knew better than to talk with a mouth full of food so he motioned for Chibs to wait and finished what he had, taking a quick sip of his milk.

  
"Really good. Thank you for letting us stay the night."

  
"O'course. Was'nae gonna fix ye up an' send ye ou' ta sleep in a box or somethin'." Chibs declared. "Bu', I gotta ask," he started gently. Auggie seemed to know what he was going to say as he already spoke before Chibs could ask.

  
"The orphanage sucked." August explained, getting a little angry. "They made us clean everyday, there wasn't any hot water for showers, they made us eat porridge for breakfast every day and if we refused to eat any of our food at any meal we couldn't leave the table until we ate it, and we were never shown to mommies and daddies. Only the babies were."

  
"Sounds like you knew a girl named Annie." Tig quipped though he wasn't in a joking mood. Auggie raised his eyebrows in question at the man. "Nevermind. So when did you run from the place?" He and Chibs watched the boy look to the little girl with a mix of anger and sadness. Izzy kept her head down, staring at her plate and pushing a piece of French toast around her plate.

  
"August, wha' happen?" Chibs asked gently, tearing his eyes away from Izzy to lock eyes with Auggie, hoping the pleading yet stern gaze would get him to explain.

  
"We escaped two nights ago." He started quietly, staring at the ashtray in the middle of the table. "One of the older boys...I think he was twelve or thirteen... he was a big jerk. He pushed us all around when the ma'ams weren't around but acted like an angel around them. They didn't believe any of us when we told them he'd push us around and stuff." He took a deep breath to control his emotions. "I tried to keep Izzy with me all the time, I did. But they seperated us at night. Boys and girls couldn't sleep in the same rooms." He shook his head and looked down at his lap.

  
"Hey," Tig urged softly, leaning down some. "It's okay, bud. You guys are safe now. Just... we need to know what happened so we can help." He gave the boy's shoulder an encouraging squeeze, glancing over at Chibs nervously. Neither man knew what the boy was going to say but they were starting to get an inkling and it was making them sick.

  
"They lock the bathrooms after bedtime. We weren't supposed to get out of bed in the middle of the night, but I had to check on Izzy. Sometimes she has an accident if she drinks too much before bed and I remembered she had my glass of apple juice at dinner cuz one of the mean girls stole her meatloaf and she wasn't full but they wouldn't give her more food. I gave her my juice cuz I'd already eaten my meatloaf and all I had left was peas and Izzy hates peas so I couldn't give her those." He rambled on before realizing he was getting off the subject. "I snuck down the hallway and looked into the girls' room Izzy slept in but her bed was empty. I thought she got up on her own and gone potty so I went to the one bathroom downstairs that had a broken lock. I figured that's where she had to be cuz all the other bathrooms wouldn't open."

  
Clay coughed loudly, startling everyone in the clubhouse as they'd been listening intently to hear the boy's soft voice. The adults all glared at him. Clay rolled his eyes, offering an unapologetic apology and got up, stomping outside. Chibs heard a sniffle and looked to see Izzy's body was trembling slightly. He scooped her up and cradled her sideways against his chest, rocking lightly as he nodded to August to finish what he had to say. The boy was watching his little foster sister sadly.

  
"I could hear someone inside the bathroom and I thought it sounded like Izzy but she sounded like she was crying. I opened the door an- and..." He choked on his words and closed his eyes as Izzy audibly cried now. "The older boy... the jerk... he was growling at her in the bathroom. Telling her she had to do something, I think. He was talking so rough and Izzy was tucked into the corner like she was trying to get away from him. Then I noticed his..." August groaned, clenching his jaw like the memory caused him physical pain. "His pajamas were down and his... pe- his thing was big. He was waving it at her and demanding something. When he grabbed her hair and pulled her out of the corner, she screamed and cried. There was a broom and I grabbed it and I hit him with the handle. And I hit him again and again until he let Izzy go and he fell on the floor. He tried to get up so I kept hitting him until one of the ma'ams was pulling me out of the bathroom."

  
"Jaysus Chris'." Chibs muttered, tears rolling down his cheeks as he held Izzy tightly, one hand stroking through her hair to try to calm her down. He looked up at Tig and saw him as upset as he was. A moment passed before Bobby made his way over and sat in Izzy's chair. JT stood between Bobby and Chibs and Gemma brought some tissues to Auggie, crouching beside him and helping him wipe his eyes and blow his noise.

  
"Those bitches didn't do anything to that little shit, did they?" Tig grumbled, fists clenched. Auggie shook his head and sniffled once as Gemma rubbed his back in soothing circles.

  
"They spanked us with a switch."

  
"What?" Gemma gasped.

  
"Izzy gots three. Two for disobeying and getting out of bed and one for wetting her jammies." He explained sadly. The adults shared a disgusted look. Of course the little girl peed herself, she'd gone to the bathroom for relief but never got the chance before she was- "I got eight. Two for disobeying, one for breaking the lock which I didn't do, and five for beatin' up the jerk. He got to have a brownie with his breakfast." Auggie collapsed into Gemma's arms, sobbing. Bobby jumped up out of his seat and started pacing.

  
"What the fuck is wrong with that place?!" He rumbled angrily.

  
"I don't know." JT shooke his head before looking at each of us. "But we're gonna find out."


	4. Part of the Family Now

Gemma and fellow club brother Otto's wife Luann decided they were going to take the kids shopping after breakfast and once everyone had calmed down after the shocking revelation from August. Gemma said she wanted to get them some clothes of their own. There was an unspoken agreement the little ones would not be returning to that Godforsaken orphanage. As Luann and Tig helped the kids get ready in some more of Jackson's clothes, Chibs pulled Gemma into the hallway. He handed her a roll of bills.

  
"What's this?" She asked, knowing what it was but curiously wanting to hear the Scotsman say it.

  
"Use it on the wee ones, okay? Wha'eva they wan'." He insisted.

  
It warmed Gemma's heart to see how much he cared for the two. She knew he held such sadness and anger in him for missing out on his daughter, Kerrianne's life. She'd been three when Jimmy O took her and Fiona from Chibs, scarred him, and banished him from Ireland. Kerrianne would be eight by now. She suspected part of his care for the orphans, especially Izzy, had been him projecting his guilt about not being in his daughter's life. But he also did genuinely care for the two. She saw how he cared for Jackson, Piney's son, Harry, and briefly for Thomas, her second son that passed too early in life thanks to the family flaw of a heart defect. Chibs was a family man, no doubt about it. He loved kids.

  
Luann came out of the prospect room first with Auggie taking her hand. The jeans and plain black t-shirt fit him perfectly, as did the black sneakers Jackson never wore. Poor Izzy looked like half her pair of jeans were rolled into a cuff at the bottom, the t-shirt she was given was practically long sleeve on her and the only shoes that fit were some old dog headed slippers they found hidden under the blankets in one of the footlockers. The little girl seemed in much better spirits despite the oversized clothes and Gemma supposed that was a good thing as it wasn't an hour ago she had been sobbing and snotting all over Chibs's shirt. She watched Izzy rush Chibs and the biker pick her up, swinging her around before carrying her and following Luann out of the clubhouse.

  
Tig was last out of the room and as he passed his friend, he kissed her cheek and pressed something into her hand. As he walked away, she looked down to see another roll of cash. She shook her head, scoffing in amusement. Once outside, Gemma watched as the kids were strapped into the booster seats in her Cadillac and she wondered if they weren't strapping in the two newest members of the SAMCRO family.

  
*****

  
Chibs was wrenching on a rust bucket of a car's engine a half hour later when JT approached him.

  
"Chibs, brother, a word?" The club president request. Chibs nod and put his tools down, wiping his hands on a rag while he followed John to the picnic tables. Both men lit a smoke. "What are you gonna do?"

  
"Wha'?" Chibs looked to his friend, confused by the question.

  
"The orphans." John elaborated as he took another puff of his cigarette.

  
"Oh. I'm no' sure." Chibs shrugged, looking at his boots for a moment. "They can' go back ta tha' awful place, tha's fer sure." He growled.

  
"Unser finally find info on them?" JT asked. Chibs nod his head as he inhaled his smoke deeply.

  
"Aye. August Marsh, safe haven drop off baby, two months ol', four foster homes by the age o' seven. Isabelle Culver, CPS removed 'er from a dangerous home life at a year, Da was a pimp, Ma was a junkie whore, one foster home. Pair bonded when Auggie was placed in the home she was in. Turns out Foster Ma's Daddy was an abusive bastard. Restrainin' order didn' keep 'im away fer long. Near as Unser can figure, guy showed up one nigh', killed Ma in a drunken rage an' wen' afta the littles. Auggie took Izzy an' ran. Three other kids in the house, too. All gone wit' the wind."

  
"Whoa." John gasped. He took a minute to digest the information. "Rough start to their lives."

  
"Yup." Chibs grunt as he flicked his cig stub away. "Unser won' gimme the name o' the cunt tha' made 'em run." JT chuckled dryly.

  
"Cuz he knows you'll hunt him down and kill him." He stubbed his cigarette out and looked to his club brother thoughtfully. "What'll we do about the orphanage?"

  
"Tell Unser wha' Auggie told us. See if he can dig into the place or poin' us in the direction of someone who can." Chibs snarled. "If we can' ge' it shut down proper, we ge' the kids out an' burn it ta the ground."

  
"We'll discuss it with the club. I'm sure the guys will all want in on that." Chibs nod in agreement before they fell silent for a while, having another cigarette. "You care for those kids." John stated after a thoughtful pause. "Adopt them." Chibs raised an eyebrow, looking at his President.

  
"In case ya 'aven' noticed, brotha... I'm a criminal. An' they're a couple a street kid runaways. Can' exactly walk into the righ' facility an' say 'Oi, they're mine now.' Don' work like tha'." He shook his head incredulously.

  
"True. But, who said we have to do this the right way?" Chibs eyebrows arched towards his hairline. "All you need is the right paperwork. And we know people that can do that. Rosen can sign what he needs, make it all look official and shit." Chibs thought about it for a minute.

  
"Tha's brillian' actually." Chibs said, a smile forming but then leaving. "Wha' if they don' wan' me? I'm no' gonna force 'em ta be my kids."

  
"Ask 'em. When Gem and Lu get back with them, have a sit down, talk to 'em. See what they think."

  
*****

Chibs did ask the little runaways what they wanted. Isabelle instantly jumped on him and squeezed him in a hug as tight as she could, enthusiastically letting him know she wanted to be his daughter. August had been a little leery of the idea. Chibs couldn't blame him, he hadn't managed to make as strong of a connection with the boy like he had Izzy. He told Auggie there was no rush and to think about what he wants to do. After their talk, Auggie had gone to a corner of the clubhouse with one of his new books. Chibs watched Tig approach the boy and sit beside him. He watched as the man everyone said was not quite right in the head seem to have no issue comforting August and reading with him. The sight gave Chibs a crazy idea.

  
"You want me to what?" Tig asked the Scot after the littles had gone to bed for the night.

  
"Jus' consider it." Chibs plead. "It's clear the lad has taken ta ye. An' ye can' tell me ya don' 'ave a soft spot fer him. Plus, it would make the paperwork look more legit. His hair is darker an' his eyes are closer to yer blue than my brown."

  
"My place ain't set up for a kid." Tig said, trying to make excuses to himself as much as Chibs.

  
"An' mine is?" Chibs countered. "Tha's no' a good reason ta say no. We can redo livin' spaces ta adapt. This is both our chances ta actually be a Da. Tha' mick bastard is neva gonna let Fi and my li'l Kerrianne go. Until tha' shite is settled, I can' be there fer my girl. An' yer ex don' let ye see the twins. Bu' now here's two wee ones in desperate need fer a home an' we may very well be the only ones tha' can provide it."

  
"I barely know the little guy." Tig sighed.

  
"Ya prolly know more abou' the lad than ya do Dawn an' Fawn."

  
"Probably true." Tig groaned and rubbed a hand down his face. "Okay, let's see how Aug feels about it in the morning."

  
"Thank ya, Tigger." Chibs pat his shoulder.

  
"Yeah, yeah. Figure we can't fuck 'em up worse than they already are, right?"

  
*****

Charlie Rosen, the club's attorney, was led into the clubhouse by JT. The man was close to retirement having had a long and prosperous career. He had dropped most of his clients but held onto SAMCRO until his son passed the bar and took over the practice. Seeing them head for the Chapel, Tig and Chibs followed in and took their seats while JT allowed Rosen to sit at the head of the table in his chair. JT stood back and watched the three discuss the forged documents.

  
"Now, these took a little more time than I would've preferred but ya pay for quality not time, right?" The elder man in an expensive suit quipped. "I can have my guy do Social Security numbers and cards after we finish the birth certificates."

  
"Whoa, I thought we were adopting them?" Tig leaned forward, confused and looked at the papers.

  
"This way is better. Adoption papers would be harder to fake. You've both served time, it'd be hard for anyone to believe either of you were approved for adoption. Making them your actual children is surprisingly much easier." The lawyer explained.

  
"So, ya mean, fer all intents an' purposes, Izzy will be my daugh'er? Like my li'l Kerri is?" Chibs asked, working everything out in his head.

  
"Yes, like that type of daughter. The only issue is we need a mother's name on the records. It's one thing to leave a father's name blank but a mother is the one doing the birthing after all." Rosen smiled softly. "Your best bet is to find a woman that is willing to be the mother on paper. We could attempt a fake name but that poses the same issues as adoption papers if put under scrutiny." JT pushed himself off the wall he was leaning on and hurried out of Chapel suddenly. Rosen brought Tig and Chibs back to his attention. "Now, I know the kids' first names and last. Do they have middles?"

  
"Auggie hates his middle name."

  
"Iz doesn't know hers."

  
"Okay." Rosen nodded, picking up his pen. "If you have a different option, let's have it." He looked at Tig first.

  
"Auggie's favorite wrestler is Hunter Hearst Helmsley." Tig said, a lightbulb going off. "How about Hunter?" He asked hopefully. Rosen grinned and looked down at the birth certificate, filling in the name.

  
"August Hunter Trager." He muttered. "And he's seven right now?" He glanced up to see Tig nod. "He remember his birthdate?"

  
"June first."

  
"Uh-huh." Rosen finished filing out the information except the mother's name and had Tig sign under his printed name. Rosen pulled Izzy's papers over. "And Isabelle?" He looked up at Chibs.

  
"Isabelle Raven Telford." He grinned at Tig's questioning look. "The little lass picked it out herself." He explained, earning a grin from his brother and a small 'aww' from Rosen. "She's five righ' now. Birthdate is May fifteenth." He took the pen from Rosen when it was offered and signed where he needed to.

  
Rosen explained some other important bits as the two men listened intently. Just as it was explained to keep everything locked up safely, JT came back into Chapel with his prepay open and against his chest. The three at the table looked expectantly at him for an explanation to his actions. He held his phone out to Chibs with a mischevious grin. The Scot took it slowly and held it to his ear, clearing his throat.

  
_"Filip?"_

  
"Fi?" His voice cracked from surprise.

  
_"Aye, it's me. Can' be long. Jimmy'll know somethin's up."_

  
"Did John call ya?" He asked her while looking to his president.

  
_"He called a friend who could ge' hold'a me. Are ya really takin' in a child, Filip?"_

  
"It's a long story, luv. I'm no' replacin' my sweet Kerrianne, I don' wan' ya ta think tha'. But Izzy... she needs someo-"

  
_"Ah, don' worry, sweethear'. I know yer no' replacin' our girl. Ya go' a big hear'. Plen'y of it ta share wit' a wee one in need. Tha's why JT called. Said ya need a mother's name. Make t'ings look real. Use my name." Fiona said. Chibs could hear the warm smile in her voice._

  
"Really? Are ye sure, Fi? If Jimmy finds ou'..." Chibs asked, surprised but happy.

  
_"Aye, I'm sure. We already 'ave one daugh'er. Wha's one more?" She joked._

  
"Thank ya, luv."

  
_"Yer welcome, sweet man." There was a knocking sound followed by Fiona saying she'd be another minute. "Tell Tig ta use the name, Maeve Boland. She was a school mate. She passed away two years ago. Cancer. Poor thing. She was a bit of a dafty and had loose morals, but could well pass as mother ta the lad if JT's description was accurate. Anyone questions the Ma-"_

  
"We ca' use the club as an excuse how he'd 'ave knocked up a bonnie Irish girl. Yer brillian', Fi." Chibs chuckled, piecing together a plausible storyline already.

  
_"If I were brillian', ya wouldn' be an ocean away wit' the scars ta remind ya why an' I wouldn' be wit' the bastard tha' did it." She sighed. "Problem fer another day, luv. I 'ave ta go. I expect pictures of our second daugh'er soon." She teased, lightening the mood she'd soured._

Before Chibs could say anything back, the line went dead.

  
"Tiggy, August's Ma's name is Maeve Boland. Irish lass, frien' o' Fi's, passed a couple years back from cancer." He said as he handed JT his burner back. Tig grinned and nodded, looking to the lawyer while Chibs looked to JT. "Thank ye, brotha."

  
"No problem, brother." JT smiled and clapped him on the shoulder.

  
Once Rosen was satisfied with the forged documents and had called his guy about the Socials, he left to do other more legal things. The guys went outside to find the kids. Gemma and JT's boy, Jackson, and Piney's boy, Harry, were there for the afternoon as well. They were both Auggie's age. Jackson and August were tossing a pair of fuzzy dice back and forth while Harry was reading a car manual to an enraptured Izzy who sat atop a stack of tires. Gemma stepped out of the office to yell at Jax and Auggie to put the dice back in the car Lowell was working on when she saw the two men.

  
"Saw Rosen just left." She said with a smirk, leaning against the doorframe. "Get everything sorted?" They showed her the new birth certificates. "Fiona's the mom, huh?" She raised an eyebrow. It was no secret Gemma wasn't a fan of the estranged wife of Chibs. She didn't know the other woman's name and didn't have a snarky comment. "August! Isabelle! Come here!" She shout. Auggie jogged towards Harry and Izzy, helping Izzy down. They held hands and walked to the three adults.

  
"Hey, kid." Tig greet the boy as Chibs scooped Izzy into his arms with a wide smile. They watched Chibs show the little girl the paperwork and explained how it meant she was his now. Gemma teared up when the girl realized what it all meant and squeezed her arms around Chibs' neck and called him 'Daddy'. Tig looked back down to the boy and held the birth certificate up. "This piece of paper here says you're my kid." He explained awkwardly. August squint as he tried to make sense of it.

  
"Who's Maeve Boland?" He asked, confused.

  
"Just a name, really. We needed a Mom for the sake of the paperwork." He shrugged, figuring Auggie didn't need the whole in-depth explanation right now. "Do you like your middle name?" He asked, pointing to it.

  
"Anything is better than Francis." The little boy shrugged before looking. "Like the wrestler?" Tig nodded with a grin. "That's kinda cool." He smiled lightly. "So do I call you Daddy now?" Tig wasn't sure. He tucked the paper away in his wallet and crouched to Auggie's level.

  
"You call me whatever you feel like calling me. This is all about you and what you're comfortable with. If I'm just the guy giving you a roof and food, that's fine. I can be Tig. I can be Pops. I can be 'Hey, You, Guy' if that works." He joked, earning a quiet giggle. After a few moments of silence, Auggie's face looked resolute and he nod once to himself.

  
"I think Dad would work, if that's okay?" Tig felt his heart threaten to explode.

  
"Yeah, I think we can make that work." He croaked, feeling emotional. Auggie nodded again before stepping closer and tenatively wrapping his arms around Tig's neck. Tig took a shuttering breath as he encircled the little boy in a tight hug. He looked up to where Chibs was basically crying happily as his new daughter was rambling about how she wanted her room to look as he held her in his arms. Chibs caught Tig's eye and winked.


	5. First Day of School

Izzy held the blankets tighter around herself, grumbling as Chibs tried to pry them away and get her up. It was the first day of school, first grade, and the little girl wanted nothing to do with it. She crocodile death rolled herself into a tight burrito and growled at her father. Chibs groaned in frustration, he should be a lot stronger than a wee lass but her pure determination to stay in bed was giving her supernatural strength.

  
"Izzy, get up, lass. Ya hafta get dressed an' eat breakfast b'fore Gemma gets here." He plead with his daughter.

  
"No, Daddy. I'm not goin' ta some stinky old school. I wanna stay with you." She whined.

  
Chibs understood her fear. Since becoming his kid, she'd spent almost all her time with him. He took her to work and let her tinker around with some spare parts and tools while she was in the office with Gemma or tucked away under his work bench. They went on father-daughter picnics and adventures all the time. She loved his Harley, she was small enough he could sit her in front of him which he felt a lot more comfortable about than her tiny body behind him where he had to trust she could grip his kutte tight enough. When he was in Church, she and Auggie watched tv in one of the spare dorms or napped. The only time he was ever away from her was for club business like runs or meetings. But, she was typically with Gemma and/or Luann during that time and was fine.

  
But, now she was school aged and Chibs knew she needed to be around other kids besides the three older boys. She needed a proper education, too. And he certainly didn't have the time or the brains to homeschool her. He taught her enough, she was on par with any other six year old, so she shouldn't be behind those that had gone to kindergarten or had non-criminal parents home to teach them. But, no matter what, it was a big change in the young girl's life and she would need to learn how to cope with it.

  
"Isabelle Raven Telford!" Chibs barked sternly. "Ye get yer scrawny butt outta tha' bed an' start gettin' ready fer school b'fore I coun' ta three or Sam an' Magnus get it. One."

  
"NO!" Izzy shout as she scrambled to untangle herself from the blankets. "You leave them alone!" She whined as she fell out of bed and jumped to her feet, running towards Chibs and snatching the crow and alligator stuffed animals from his hands. She hugged the eighteen inch realistic plush bird and gator tightly. Chibs smirked, knowing how much she loved those things. He'd bought them on their first trip to the zoo not long after her birth certificate forgery made her his.

  
"Good. Now tha' yer up, get dressed." He teased, earning a glare from Izzy. She stuck her tongue out at him before tucking her buddies into her bed and went to her little desk where her outfit was. Chibs left the room and went downstairs to fix breakfast.

  
Izzy's bedroom was any kid's dream. Designed how she wanted it with very little say from her parent. Chibs had persuaded her away from loud colors as far as her choice for the walls but she'd agree as she got older that it had been a wise move on his part. Chibs cleared out the second bedroom he used as storage. Dark hardwood floors, spacious, large closet with two folding doors, ceiling fan, one big window. She had a large pale blue area rug covering under her full bed and most of the floor. Her walls were a shade or two brighter than the carpet with white floor and ceiling runners as well as the doors. Chibs gave her a nice light wooden kid-sized desk and chair placed right under the window, a wooden dresser set with one being three short wide drawers and the other being not as wide with two and three smaller drawers per row five rows high, a floor to ceiling bookcase, mismatched side tables in neon colors, and 32" flat screen mounted on the wall opposite her bed with dvd player and game systems. Izzy picked out Powerpuff Girls bedsheets and some fun reading lamps and such for decor. There was tattoo flash framed and hung on her walls courtesy of Uncle Happy as well.

  
A few minutes after getting Izzy up, Chibs turned from the stove to see his little daughter trudge into the kitchen and flop onto a chair at the breakfast table. She wore rainbow leggings, a white t-shirt with SAMCRO in pink letters, pink Converse high tops, Powerpuff Girls charm bracelet, and a simple silver chain necklace with a Scottish flag pendant (Chibs had given it to her as sort of a "welcome home" gift when her room was finished). He chuckled to himself, the stark contrast between her brightly colored outfit and his near all black attire rather amusing.

  
"Daddy, will you fix my hair?" She asked as he set a plate of scrambled eggs and sausage links as well as a bowl of fruit in front of her.

  
"Best I can do is a ponytail, bug. Ye'll 'ave ta ask Gem fer somethin' else." He got her a glass of chocolate milk before he sat across from her with his own eggs and sausage. He smiled, watching her dig into her food.

  
"Pony works." She mumbled around her mouthful.

  
"Manners, Isabelle." He chide lightly. The little girl swallowed and grinned shyly.

  
"My bad." Chibs winked at her as he picked up his mug of tea. After eating and brushing her teeth, Chibs was in the middle of putting Izzy's hair in a high ponytail when the front door opened. Tig and August walked in. "Hi, Auggie! Hi, Uncle Tiggy!" Izzy greet cheerily as she wiggled in her seat making Chibs lose some of her hair from his grip. He sighed and started over. Auggie was dressed in a sky blue polo, baggy blue jeans, tan work boots and had most of his head buzzed while a one inch wide strip of hair along the top of his head was spiked up into a mohawk a good couple inches tall.

  
"Hi, baby doll." Tig greet with a wide grin, clearly amused at watching the Scot doing his little girl's hair. "You good, brother?" He asked, failing to hide his laughter at the sight of Chibs with the handle of a neon purple hairbrush in his mouth while he used both hands to smooth Izzy's hair back and into a bundle.

  
"Shu' i'." Chibs mumbled around the brush. He pulled the pink hairtie from his wrist and wrapped it around the base of the ponytail a few times and pulled it all tight. "There." He said as he took the hairbrush and set it on the counter. "All set, bug." Izzy hopped from the chair and hugged Chibs around the neck.

  
"Thank you, Daddy." She kissed his cheek as he squeezed her tight. He plant a sloppy kiss on her cheek in return making her giggle before releasing her. Izzy skipped off to the bathroom to see her hair as Chibs stood up and fist bumped his two visitors.

  
"Saw Gem at the gas station on the way over, she should be here soon." Tig said as Auggie wandered off to find Izzy. Once both kids were out of eyesight, he smacked Chibs on the arm playfully. "Can you do my hair now, Daddy?" He teased in a childish voice.

  
"Fuck you, Trager." He grumbled, moving to gather Izzy's things into her Powerpuff Girls backpack and set it by the front door. Tig dropped Auggie's WWE bag beside it.

  
"Benefits of a boy, Telford." He shrugged. "Right now, Auggie either wants a buzz or some kind of mohawk which are both easy as shit."

  
"Aye, maybe the hair is easier. Bu' there are oth'a benefits ta girls. Nothin' can match a good cuddle wit' my wee lovebug." Chibs swooned with such pride and happiness.

  
"Pussy." Tig jeered, badly covering the insult with a cough. Chibs flipped him off as Gemma opened the front door. "Hey, Gem!" Tig greet the matriarch, kissing her cheek. Chibs kissed her other cheek as Auggie and Izzy came running from down the hallway. Izzy had found a pink cotton headband to add to her first day ensemble.

  
"Auntie Gemma!" She shout as she hurled herself at the woman. Gemma easily caught her and wrapped her in a hug.

  
"Hey, sweet pea! Ready for your first day of school?" Gem asked trying to sound excited. Izzy shrugged.

  
"I guess." She mumbled.

  
"Well, we'll see how you feel about it after you've been, okay? Grab your bags, kiddos. Jax and Harry are waiting." She set the little one down and gave Auggie an affectionate scratch to the side of his buzzed head as he walked by. They went out the door, running to the car. "Clay said church in a half hour. Somethin' about the incoming shipment." The men exchanged a curious look.

  
"Alright. Well, we'll head to TM after we see the kids off at school." Tig said. Chibs nod in agreement as Gemma gave the pair an eyeroll.

  
"I am perfectly capable of dropping all the kids off at the school. Been doing it for Jax and Harry since they were in first grade."

  
"We know tha', Mum. Bu'-"

  
"I know." She put a hand up to stop the Scotsman's excuse. "First and last days are the only times I'll allow it. But don't make it a habit or you can take them yourselves. We don't need an escort. Your kids will survive a few hours without you." She turned and sashayed out the front door.

  
"Yeah, bu' I won'." Chibs mumbled as he grabbed his kutte off the hook by the door and followed Gemma out.

  
"Same, brother." Tig sighed quietly, refusing to admit it within earshot of the others. His transition from bachelor to father of a seven now eight year old wasn't as seamless as the transition had been for Chibs and Izzy. He had a hard time communicating with the boy sometimes and especially when it came to discipline- not that August acted out much but he did have the occassional typical tantrums and acts of defiance. He didn't want to yell but couldn't find a firm tone that showed he meant business. Chibs, however, could bark Izzy's first and middle name and she'd almost immediately stop whatever she was doing and he'd definitely found his authoritative Dad voice that let her know he was serious without being scary. But, despite their struggles, Tig and August did bond a lot over motorcycles and paranormal television. They frequently fell asleep on the couch together watching Ghost Hunters or some documentary on supposed real life possessions. Much like Chibs, today was the first non-club business related day he'd be apart from his son for several hours and it oddly bothered him.

  
*****

Little Jackson Teller was the first to leap from his mother's Cadillac SUV when she pulled up to the drop off curb outside Charming Elementary School. He wore a plain white t-shirt under an open long sleeve blue plaid button-up, dark wash jeans and white tennis shoes with his black Harley Davidson backpack slung over one shoulder. August quickly followed and waved to his dad as he and Uncle Chibs had parked up behind Gemma. Izzy grudgingly slipped down to the ground and dragged her feet in the damp grass towards the boys. It was one thing for Auggie to start second grade, he had Jax and Harry with him. But Izzy was younger than the boys and going into first grade with no one. Harry was the last to get out, shutting the door behind him. He was taller than Jax and Auggie by a head and looked like he should be a grade or two up. He wore a plain black t-shirt under a dark grey SAMCRO hoodie, black jeans and black high tops. His unruly locks were hidden under a black slouchy beanie. He tossed his dad's old overnight army pack over his shoulder and bumped his side with Izzy's as he caught up to her slow moving form. She gave a half-assed bump in return before turning and waving to Chibs who'd told her to have a good day before he and Tig revved their bikes and followed Gemma back towards the main street.

  
The boys walked Izzy to her classroom. Her teacher was a sweet little old white lady well past retirement age named Mrs. Learner. She wore the most grandmotherly floral dresses that were ever seen and the same little black loafers every day. Rumor had it she taught Piermont Winston and John Teller back in the day and looked just as old then as now. Jax and Harry had her last year out of three possible teachers so they helped Izzy get introduced to her before they and Auggie went to their classroom down the hallway with their second grade teacher, Mr. Fredricks, a young man only started teaching a few years ago. This was his third year teaching second grade but his first year at CES.

  
Mrs. Learner greet Izzy with a sickly sweet voice and only referred to her by her first name despite the girl's shy request to be called Izzy. The teacher showed her to a seat in the back of the rows of double wide desks, the corner by the window that looked out into a small courtyard where the bigger kids did a lot of outdoor projects like gardening and nature studies. The second seat at the desk remained empty until just after the warning bell signaling kids to be in their classrooms. As she worked on the name tag for her desk her teacher gave her, a stick of a little girl with a face full of freckles, green eyes, and a mass of untamed red curls was shown the empty seat. They were told they'd be desk buddies and to introduce themselves to each other. Izzy took in the little girl's clothes: black ballet flats, black leggings, and a white Mojo Jojo t-shirt. She smiled and held her hand out to her.

  
"Mrs. Learner calls me Isabelle cuz that's my name but I like Izzy better." The little girl shook her hand and smiled.

  
"Josephine. But I prefer Jojo or Joey." Izzy noticed her voice sounded a bit funny. Joey must've picked up on it because she pulled her hair back on one side to show her ear. "It's called a cochlear implant. I was born with deformed eardrums and I couldn't hear practically anything. Mama says I was basically deaf. Got this last year. I sound different cuz I have to go to speech therapy to help my voice box work since I went without talkin' for so long. Plus I'm from Texas." She joked with a smile.

  
"But you can hear now?"

  
"Pretty much. So long as I have my implants in. Some things I still can't hear well but it's fine. Best part is when Mama gets mad and starts yellin', I can turn my ears off." The girls shared a giggle.

  
"I like you." Izzy decided.

  
"I like you, too. You're the first person in this town that didn't make fun of my ears or the way I talk. And you like Powerpuff Girls. Which is your favorite?"

  
"Buttercup."

  
"Nice. I love Blossom. Mostly cuz of the red hair." They giggled again before Izzy helped her new friend get set up to make her name tag.

  
By the end of the day, Izzy and Jojo were near inseperable. The trio of boys found them by the pick up area playing some kind of hand slapping game. When they approached, Jojo squeaked in terror and hid behind Izzy. Apparently, they looked rather intimidating to the new girl. Izzy thought it was hilarious because she never thought of them that way.

  
"Jojo, these is my family." Izzy said, pulling the redhead out from behind her. "This is Harry, Jackson, and August."

  
"Your brothers?" She questioned, confused because they all looked nothing alike.

  
"Not in the blood sense." Jax clarified. "Our parents are all really close so we're like one big combined family." He laced his fingers together to emphasis it just as a horn honked. "There's Mom." The boys and Izzy said their goodbyes to Jojo and raced to Gemma's SUV. Harry was first because of his long legs and Auggie was last because Izzy tripped him. Jojo watched them leave before her ride pulled up. She dropped into her much older stepbrother's fancy car.

  
"Good day, Josephine?" The sixteen year old asked her.

  
"Yup. I made a friend. Her name is Izzy and she loves Powerpuff Girls just like me." She said excitedly.

  
"I saw. Stay away from that lot, hear me?" He ordered roughly as he began the drive home.

  
"What? Why? They're all nice, Jacob."

  
"They come from bad stock. A bunch of outlaw bikers and their whores. You don't need to be mixed up in that shit. You're a Hale now, act like it." He demanded earning a huff of anger and Jojo pouting the rest of the ride home.

  
*****

Gemma pulled into Teller-Morrow and the four kids were scrambling out of the car barely before she had it in park. Three of them were coughing and gagging while a very proud-of-himself Teller strolled away from the vehicle. JT, Piney, Chibs, and Tig came out of the clubhouse, making their way over.

  
"Daddy!" Izzy croaked dramatically clutching her throat. "Jax tried to kill us!" She gagged, holding an arm out like she was reaching for a life line.

  
"It wasn't that bad!" Jax groaned at his friends as they continued to gasp for air. The men chuckled as they greet their kids. JT ruffled Jackson's hair.

  
"Son, mustard gas in the war smells better than what leaked out your ass." He teased, covering up as Jax pretended to beat his father up.

  
"I told him not to eat the bean burrito at lunch, Pops." Harry shrugged as his father clapped his shoulder. The father and son pairs head for the clubhouse while Izzy couldn't wait that long to show Chibs what she did in school, busting open her backpack in the middle of the lot.

  
"Look'it!" She urged, unfolding a large poster page. "I drew a motorcycle!" Chibs took the paper from her and examined the drawing. It was indeed a vehicle with two wheels, but a motorcycle?

  
"Tha's great, bug!" He praised anyway, pointing at different parts and guessing what they were. Izzy turned to her Aunt Gemma who was watching them. She put a hand beside her mouth and stage-whispered.

  
"Daddy has a motorcycle poster in his room but it has a naked lady on it. I think he'll like this one better and cover up the old one." Gem smirked, glancing at Chibs who'd obviously heard Izzy.

  
"Well, I think that's exactly what he'll do." Gemma encouraged. Chibs gave the biker queen the stinkeye before plastering a fake excited grin on his face when Izzy turned to him expectantly.

  
"Well, o' course tha's wha' I'll do!"

  
An hour later, Izzy was hidden under a work bench fiddling with nuts and bolts, a wrench and some scrap metal bits that had holes. Chibs was on a creeper under the nearest car singing along to some 80's hair metal playing on the radio. He didn't have the best voice but Izzy loved hearing him. She bopped her head along as she tried to create metal art.

  
Chibs finished the car and was preparing to clean up for the day when a red four-door hatchback limped onto the lot. Gemma stepped out of the office and greet the woman that climbed out of the driver's seat. Chibs got distracted by the late arrival and absently wiped his hands with a rag while he watched the women talk.

  
"Hi. I'm Gemma. What can we do for ya?" She greet, holding a hand out.

  
"Claire." The other woman introduced. She had red curly hair pulled back into a fluffy ponytail, a curvy figure, and was shorter than Gemma by a few inches. "Well, I think I ran over a nail this morning. My tire didn't blow, but it's gotten pretty low. It was just sitting in the parking lot at work all day so I'm not sure." Gemma turned and called Chibs over.

  
"This is Chibs. One of our best." She boast. "It's almost closing time but maybe we can check it out." Gemma turned to the mechanic. "Thinks she has a puncture." Chibs shrugged.

  
"I can take a look. Ye go' a spare?" He asked, noticing his accent took the woman by surprise.

  
"Uh, n-no. No, I don't have a spare unfortunately." She stuttered, regaining herself.

  
"Okay. Well, if I can, I'll give'er a patch an' order ye a new tire. Should ge' ye through 'til it comes in. Bu', I say order two, use one as yer spare." He explained.

  
"Sounds good. Thank you so much. I know it's late."

  
"Ach, no problem. Shouldn' take more'n twen'y minutes once I find the leak."

  
"Great. Well, here are the keys. Lemme just get my daughter out of the back." Gemma went into the office to get paperwork together as Chibs waited for the woman to open the back door and let her kid out.

  
"Mama, this is the place Jake said we shouldn't go." He heard a little sourthern slurred voice announce.

  
"Hush, Josephine. I'll handle Jake when we get home. The mechanic shop has the best reviews around." Claire chide, glancing apologetically at Chibs who just smiled. Kids and their big mouths.

  
"There's a playse' over there if ye wanna play while I fix yer Mum's car, lass." Chibs said sweetly to the little girl. The redheaded child looked at the empty play area nervously. "Me daugh'er is here, too. She'll play wit' ya." He said as he turned his head to shout over his shoulder. "OI! C'mere, bug!" A moment later, Izzy crawled out from under the workbench and stood up, brushing her pants off. She looked up and suddenly the still evening air was filled with squealing. The little girls raced at each other and hugged. The two parents shared a look. When the girls seperated, they introduced each other to their parents and took off to the play area.

  
Twenty-five minutes later, the sun was starting to set and Chibs pulled Claire's car out of the garage bay with a fresh patch on the tire. Claire got up from the picnic table she was sitting at and called her daughter over as Chibs got out of the car and passed the keys off. Both girls came running.

  
"Yer all set." Chibs smiled earning a polite one in return. "Gem ordered the tires. Be here in a couple days. The patch should las' tha' long. Jus' don' go street racin'." He badly joked. The little girls giggled while Claire laughed lightly out of courtesy more than amusement. But bonus points for effort.

  
"Thank you so much. I appreciate you doing this so late. My shift ended, I picked up Joey from her dance lesson, came straight here." Claire explained greatfully.

  
"Mama got a job at the hopsicle." Joey declared. Claire smiled lovingly at her daughter and stroked her mass of curls.

  
"Really?" Chibs asked the girl, showing excitement. He looked up at Claire. "Ye a doc?"

  
"Oh, no." She giggled like a teen. "Just a nurse. Mostly work in the ER and ICU. We just moved in a month ago."

  
"Oh? Texas?" Chibs asked while simultaneously play fighting one hand with Izzy. He kept waving his hand around and giving her ponytail a light tug as she tried to capture his wrist. Claire swooned at the interaction.

  
"Yes. Just outside Houston."

  
"Wha' brough' ye ta Charmin'?" Chibs asked as he kept his attention on the woman but proceeded to snatch up Izzy and tickle her mercilessly. Joey was holding her mother's hand, laughing hysterically at her friend.

  
"Marriage." Claire said disappointedly. Wait, what? "I met my husband while he was on business. Casual friendship turned into romance turned into marriage and moving."

  
"Daddy!" Izzy squealed with laughter as he had one arm around her waist as she was upside down and he tickled her ribs. "Put me down!" Chibs ignored her.

  
"Well, a belated welcome ta Charmin' an' congrats on the marriage."

  
"Thanks."

  
"I'm gonna pee!" Izzy gasped. Chibs finally stopped and righted her before setting her on her feet.

  
"Righ' then." Chibs sighed, ruffling Izzy's destroyed ponytail hair even more. "Say g'nigh' ta yer frien', Iz. They gotta ge' home an' so do we." The girls started whining and begging their parents not to make them go.

  
"You'll see her tomorrow, sweetie." Claire told Joey with a chuckle. The girls stopped whining.

  
"Oh yeah." Joey realized. "Mama, what's for dinner?"

  
"I don't know, honey. Jake made dinner." Claire rolled her eyes at the disgusted look on her daughter's face. Izzy giggled at her friend before looking up at Chibs.

  
"What are we doin'?" Chibs stroked his thumb along her cheek before booping her nose.

  
"Wha'ev'a ye wan'." Joey gasped at that.

  
"That's not fair!" She whined. Chibs tried to hide his laugh with a cough as Claire gave him a half-hearted glare before addressing Joey.

  
"Josephine Megan." She said sternly. "It is perfectly fair. Isabelle and her father have their plans, we have ours. Simple as that. Understand?"

  
"Yes, ma'am." Joey grumbled before turning to Izzy to say goodnight and hug. Izzy looked up at her father hopefully.

  
"Maybe Jojo can have dinner with us?" Chibs sighed softly.

  
"'Fraid no', bug. No' t'nigh' anyway." He said gently then looked to his daughter's friend. "Bu' any time ye wanna come over, ye tell yer Ma, okay? She an' I will discuss it."

  
"Same for you, Isabelle dear. You let your father know if you ever want to come over." Claire added, showing her agreeance. The girls agreed to these rules and Joey and her mom left. Chibs locked up the garage and they said goodnight to everyone in the clubhouse. Izzy traded her backpack for her black full face helmet in the saddlebag and let Chibs help her get it on.

  
"Wha' ye wan' fer dinner, lovebug?" He asked, flicking the visor up to hear her better.

  
"Diner. Burgers." She answered. He chuckled.

  
"Aye, soun's good." He flipped her visor down before strapping his bucket helmet on. He mouth his bike before leaning over and lifting Izzy up under her armpits from the back. She jumped as he picked her up and plopped her down on the very front of the seat. As he kicked the stand up and turned the engine over, Izzy pressed back against her dad and kept her hands planted on the gas tank. She squealed and giggled with delight when he revved the engine a couple times before pulling out and heading for the diner.


	6. Middle School

Despite her stepbrother's warning to stay away from the kids of the club, Jojo was at school the next day actively seeking Izzy out on the playground before they had to report to their classroom. Afterall, her stepbrother's opinion meant nothing to her when her mother was perfectly fine with the friendship.

  
In the years that followed, the girls became like sisters and Jojo was easily welcomed into the fold of their little group. (Though the SAMCRO kids knew well enough to keep her away from club-related things.) Her stepfather and oldest step-brother would repeatedly reprimand and warn her to quit hanging out with those kids. Her other step-brother seemed to care less one way or the other. And her mother encouraged her to stay friends with Izzy as the little girl was not a member of the biker club and therefore shouldn't be considered a threat. Needless to say, tensions were always high in the Hale household since first day of first grade.

  
*****

One fine morning in October, Izzy loaded up her books and lunchbox. Gone was her childish Powerpuff Girls backpack. For a seventh grader, a hot pink Harley Davidson canvas messenger bag was the look. The rest of the look was dark wash jeans and a teal long sleeve shirt with some swirly graphic design all over. She threw the strap over her shoulder and ran downstairs to find her father in the kitchen stirring up some instant oatmeal in a bowl. He set it in front of her as she flopped into her chair. Like a well-oiled machine, Izzy handed Chibs a hair tie and dug into her food as he began brushing her hair out. It was a routine they had perfected over the years when school was in session. Izzy liked that he liked brushing her hair and it meant less rushing to get ready for her. Chibs liked it because it was more bonding time with Izzy and sometimes it was a relaxing thing for him.

Chibs had taken a lot of time learning to do simple hairstyles for his daughter. Between Gemma, Luann, and the internet, he'd learned a fair bit of things he was capable of doing. This morning, Izzy wanted a braided bun. Chibs removed any knots and tangles from her lengthy hair, easily braided a tight ponytail and then wound it around itself before taking the scrunchie Izzy held up and secured it all in place. He kissed the crown of her head before taking her now empty bowl to the sink to wash.

  
"Go' yer homework done?" Chibs asked over his shoulder. Izzy sipped her chocolate milk before answering.

  
"Basically." She shrugged. Chibs arched an eyebrow and looked over his shoulder at her. "I'm stuck on a math problem and I know you don't like math. Jojo will help me before homeroom. She's a math whiz. Other than that, I'm good." Izzy explained, easing her father's concern.

"Book repor' finished?" He set the clean bowl in the strainer rack and turned to lean back against the counter, taking his tea mug from behind him and sipping.

  
"Yup. 'Lone Rider: The First British Woman to Motorcycle Around the World'. Elspeth Beard." Chibs smirked, shaking his head.

  
"Essay written?" He turned back to the sink to clean his mug as Izzy stood up and brought her glass over.

  
"Absotively Posilutely." The girl smiled. "It's 'Why dogs are better than humans'." Chibs chuckled.

  
"Ya know, I r'member yer one essay in... fourth? No, third grade." He grinned knowingly at his daughter. She laughed.

  
"Yeah. 'My Daddy is the Best Daddy'." She shook her head, remembering it. Chibs put on a higher pitched voice.

  
"My daddy is the best daddy because he's my daddy." Izzy smacked his arm. "Great openin' statement."

  
"Stahp!" She whined, embarrassed. "I was like nine! Sentence structure wasn't my strong suit." She turned and left the kitchen to get her all-black high tops on. Chibs followed her out and grabbed his kutte off the hooks by the front door.

  
"Maybe no'. Bu' the essay itself was fantastic. I still 'ave it."

  
"Oh, God." Izzy sighed and followed him out the front door.

  
"Don' be embarrassed, lovebug." Chibs teased, pulling her into his side with his arm playfully around her neck. "I still 'ave yer drawin' from yer firs' day o' firs' grade."

  
"The bike?"

"Aye." He grinned. "Ye made me take down my favorite Harley pin-up fer tha'. It's stayin' up 'til I die."

  
"I didn't make you do anything." Izzy countered.

  
"Sure." Chibs jeered, dragging the word out as they made it to his motorcycle.

  
Gemma had the flu so the guys had to take the kids to school. And, of course, they took the bikes. Jax rode with Clay (who had recently married his mom since his father passed in a bike wreck two years ago and is also now President), Auggie with Tig, and Harry- who now preferred his recently acquired nickname of Opie- with Piney (who was back in as Vice President after Clay's title change, he'd been VP under JT when they first started the club but had stepped down due to health concerns). The three dads and sons were out front waiting for the father-daughter pair so they could ride together. Chibs handed Izzy her recently acquired neon green bucket helmet before mounting his Harley and strapping on his own helmet. He threw his purple riding glasses on and held the bike steady as Izzy put a foot on the peg and used his shoulder for support while she swung her other leg over.

  
Chibs fell in formation next to Tig behind Clay and Piney. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't been concerned about when Izzy was old enough to ride behind him properly. Not that he'd think that way about the girl but he'd only ever had women ride behind him that tended to make him feel a certain way. Thankfully, it never felt that way and he came to enjoy more bonding with his daughter on rides. Whether she sat back and just rest her hands on his sides while cruising or when she'd cling to his back and wrap herself around him because he was flying down an open stretch of highway, it wasn't awkward like he thought it'd be. It felt normal and natural and he loved taking Izzy anywhere any chance he got without fear of questioning glances or anything like he thought would happen.

The guys pulled up along the curb in front of Charming Middle School and cut the engines, dropping their kickstands. The teens all hopped off and made their rounds saying their goodbyes to the dads. As Izzy was hugging Tig, she heard her father greeting Joey, who must've been dropped off at the same time. She turned to see her best friend give her dad a hug and smiled, rushing over to her.

  
"Josephine!" A man called angrily. Everyone's attention was brought to a man marching towards the group in a grey tweed suit. Jacob Hale, Senior. Joey's step-father.

  
"Damnit." Joey muttered quietly. Izzy stepped slightly in front of her best friend protectively. The man glared his dark beady eyes at her before addressing his step-daughter.

  
"Josephine Megan Hale!" He barked at the girl.

  
"Rylin-Hale." Joey corrected with a hint of sass earning a steely glare. He always hated her refusal to take his last name completely. He thought it was wrong not to have his last name though her mother supported her decision.

  
"I've told you before not to associate with the likes of these... people." He said with disgust, gesturing towards Izzy and the others. "Your mother and I strictly-"

  
"Mom doesn't care who I'm friends with! As long as we're not doing drugs." She turned towards the bikers and asked sarcastically, "You do drugs?" The guys chuckled.

  
"Not unless ya count nicotine." Tig said, lighting up a cigarette. No need to point out most of the guys also smoke weed. Joey gave Mr. Hale a pointed look. The guys took their helmets off as they suspected trouble brewing.

  
"See? No drugs. I'm fine." She crossed her arms in front of her chest and stuck a hip out.

  
"They are bikers! Criminals!"

"Bikers, yes obviously. Former criminals, if you please." Piney grumped knowing it didn't make a difference but he hated this guy and wanted to annoy him as much as he annoyed them. Jacob Hale glared at the VP before looking back at Joey.

  
"If you continue to hang around these bikers, you're grounded." He said firmly.

  
"She doesn't hang out with bikers! She hangs out with me!" Izzy defended.

  
"Fine, I'll rephrase." Jacob scoffed. "If you continue to hang out with biker sluts-"

  
"HEY!" Chibs jumped off his Harley and point a finger threateningly at Hale as his club brothers quickly dismount their bikes as well. "Tha's my daugh'er- my THIRTEEN YEAR OLD daugh'er yer callin' a slut, ye knobhead!" Jacob Hale grinned wickedly.

  
"Says you. I know the truth." He looks between the pissed off Telfords, Izzy looks mad but Chibs looks downright enraged. "Tell me," he speaks low, leaning towards Chibs so the girls don't hear. "Are you mad I called her a slut or mad that I assume you share her with the others and not keep that tight young thing for yourself?" The evil and filthy glint in his eye as he winked made Chibs see red. Before anyone could register what happened, Chibs had socked Hale in the jaw and sent him to the grass.

  
"Ye bastard!" He shout, swinging his leg forward and connecting with the slimebag's stomach. SAMCRO draws attention wherever they go, a cluster of bikes roaring down the road together will do that. Since Hale had shouted for Jojo, the attention the group had on them had atleast doubled and pre and early teenagers gathered to cheer on the biker because really, no one liked Jacob Hale, Senior. The teachers and faculty in the area, however, were trying their damnedest to get through the throngs of students to the grown men acting like fools. As soon as the crowd had shifted towards them, Izzy leapt onto Chibs and clung to his back like a spider monkey.

  
"Dad! Dad, stop!" She called loudly in his ear. He punted Hale on his temple one final time before the teachers swarmed the inner circle. Chibs backed up with his hands out to show he was done with the asshole out cold on the ground as the football coach and Izzy's science teacher took a defensive position between him and Hale. Izzy dropped off his back and followed him as he turned and stomped to his bike. He sat sideways on his seat and ran a hand roughly through his hair. "You okay?" Izzy asks cautiously. Chibs looks up at her and sighs.

  
"I'm good." She looks at him like she doesn't believe him. "He said some shite. I migh' 'ave overreacted." He explained vaguely. He knew Izzy knew the shit people said about them, she wasn't deaf or stupid. Chibs wasn't going to repeat it though.

  
"That was a nasty right hook." Izzy said with a grin. Chibs chuckled lightly. Jojo walked over looking upset.

  
"Whatever Jake said, I'm so sorry. He's an ass. I dunno what Mom sees in him."

  
"S'alright, lass." Chibs tells her warmly. "Can' help who we love. Can' help when someone is an arse, either."

  
Minutes later, a police cruiser and ambulance pulled up with lights flashing but no sirens. Chief Unser climbed out of his car with an already over it look on his face. Clay immediately reached Unser first and pulled him away from the other people. The EMTs went to Hale who was acting more hurt than he probably was. Jax, Opie, and August were told to go to class with everyone else that had been watching everything happen. Joey and Izzy refused to leave and stayed by Chibs, Tig, and Piney despite Jacob Hale's summoning Joey to his side. The girls sat nervously on the curb and waited for Unser to finish taking Hale's statement. Izzy didn't want her dad to go to jail and Joey didn't want her best friend's dad in trouble for something her stepfather instigated. As Unser made his way to the club, Chibs gave the girls a reassuring smile.

  
"Mornin', Chief." He greet with a grin.

  
Chibs and Hale ended up being banned from school property for the rest of the school year. Though Unser was able to persuade the principal to allow Chibs on property when parent-teacher conferences occurred as he was a single parent. Jacob Hale, Sr. had made a big stink about that and argued until he was given the right for David Hale's parent-teacher conferences- as David was only a year older than Joey and still in the middle school- but as stepfather, he wasn't granted the same rights for Joey which she was thankful for.

  
*****

Chibs knocked on the bedroom door and waited for his daughter to answer. He admired the photographs she'd plastered all over it of the two of them as well as the rest of the club. After a few moments, thirteen year old Izzy opened the door, giggling incessantly. She pushed the sleeves of her red Ninja Turtles flannel pajamas down to cover the permanent marker fake tattoos drawn everywhere. She looked up at him in his black wifebeater and grey sweatpants.

  
"Look," Chibs sighed. "I know I said ya could stay up as late as ya wanted, bu' could ya lasses please keep it down? Yer ol' man is exhausted." Izzy took in the way his shoulders were slouched and he had bags under his eyes. Shit had been hitting the fan for SAMCRO lately with the Mayans and he'd been out on club business late into the night three nights in a row. Tonight was his first chance to relax.

  
"Sorry, Daddy." She apologized, feeling bad for keeping him awake.

  
"Yeah, sorry, Mr. Telford." Came Jojo's voice from her spot on his daughter's bed. She was in almost matching pajamas except her favorite Turtle was purple. Chibs gave her a soft smile.

  
"It's alrigh', Jo." He assured. "I'm glad yous are havin' fun. Jus' maybe bring it down a couple notches. Aye?" He looked from Joey to Izzy and cupped the side of the young girl's jaw, rubbing her cheek with his thumb.

  
"Aye." Izzy respond, smiling brightly. Chibs leaned down and kissed her forehead. 

  
"G'night, girls."

  
"Goodnight! Thanks again for letting me sleepover. With my mom away for the weekend and Jake still on his business trip, I hate when Jacob is in charge of me and David. He's so bossy." The girls made identical annoyed faces making Chibs chuckle.

  
"No' a problem, lass." He told her before looking down to Izzy. "Tha gaol agam ort, mo chridhe." He said softly.

  
"Tha gaol agam ort cruideachd." Izzy replied, hugging his middle. Chibs wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head before shooing her into her room. Izzy shut the door and turned, pouncing onto her queen sized bed.

  
"You two are so cute." Jojo swooned.

  
"Shut up." Izzy whined, embarrassed and smacked her best friend with her pillow.

  
"What? It's true. I'm jealous. My bio-dad was a jerk and Jake is... well... Jake. I've never seen a dad express his affections as much as your dad." Jojo took a breath and decided to ask what'd been bothering her for some time now. "What's the deal anyway?"

  
"What do you mean?" Izzy asked, confused.

  
"I know he's not your bio-dad." The redhead said softly. "He has a Scottish accent and you don't, for starters. Not to mention Jake and his fight. And I overheard Mom and Jake arguing about it one time. Mom said your records at the hospital say he's your dad but Jake insists your birth certificate is fake but he can't prove it. He thinks you were kidnapped and groomed... whatever groomed means."

  
"I wasn't kidnapped." Izzy snapped. She saw her friend flinch and reeled in her anger through some calming breaths. "Sorry. No, he didn't kidnap me. But, if I tell you the truth, you gotta promise you won't tell anyone." She held her pinkie up between them. Jojo nodded quickly and linked her pinkie to the other. "No, he's not my bio-dad. But, he didn't exactly take the legal adoption route because he would've been denied cuz he was in jail before."

  
"How is that not kidnapping?" Now, it was Jojo's turn to make a confused expression.

  
"Auggie and I ran away from our foster home and lived on the street."

  
"Wait, Auggie, too?"

  
"Yeah." Izzy sighed. "Auggie doesn't talk much about his past and that's his to tell. For me, I was taken from my parents because they couldn't care for me. Auggie was put in my foster home after his last one didn't work out. Our foster mom was cool, but foster grandad was mean and scary. He broke in one night and all us foster kids ran. I was almost five and Auggie was seven. No one came looking for us and we didn't know what to do so we lived outside. Dad called us 'street kids', said it cuz we were orphans and living outside. Dad found us one day and gave us food. He found us almost every day and we'd sit and eat and talk. Until we ended up going to an orphanage." Izzy bit her tongue, willing herself not to dredge up the horrible memories and start crying. "Let's just say that didn't last long and the place burnt down. We were street kids again. After a while, he and Uncle Tig found us during a really big storm and brought us to the clubhouse. Aunt Gemma helped get us better and we stayed there for a while. Then, they talked to us about living with them in their houses and being named with their last names. And here we are." Izzy shrugged.

  
"Why didn't your dad take Auggie, too?"

  
"Auggie liked Uncle Tig better." Jojo let this revelation sink in for a while before another question popped into her head.

  
"So, who's the ladies that are your fake moms?"

  
"Auggie's is just a name. I guess the lady died a long time ago. She was a friend of my fake-mom's. Mine is Dad's wife."

  
"He's married?!" Jojo almost shout in shock.

  
"They haven't been together in a long, long time. She lives in Ireland with their actual daughter, Kerrianne. Dad's never given me a lot of details about it but he said he was forced away by some evil guy that took Fiona and Kerri away from him and to keep the girls alive, he has to stay away. He gets really upset talking about it so I don't ask. I did talk to Fiona once. She called after I moved in. She seemed nice."

  
"Wow. I'm sorry, Izzy. I thought I had it rough but that's nothin' compared to your life." Jojo leaned over and hugged her.

  
"S'alright. Dad's been the best thing to happen to me. I couldn't be happier. I don't care that we aren't related. He's my dad and the others are my family. I'm lucky." She hugged her friend tightly before they pulled apart. "Oh my God!" Izzy exclaimed suddenly. "Did I tell you about the first time I got my period? Dad had to buy my pads." The girls giggled hysterically before Izzy launched into the story.

  
~~~~~Flashback~~~~~

Isabelle was jolted awake by sharp pains in her stomach. She groaned, clutching her arms around her middle and curling into a ball. As she whined and grumbled, she squirmed around suddenly feeling something not quite right in the bed. Reaching for her bedside table, she flicked her reading light on and tossed the covers back.

  
"Holy shit." The twelve year old gasped. Her sleep shorts, legs, and sheets were smeared in some kind of red substance. It took her a minute to realize it was blood. "I'm bleeding?" She asked the empty room. She panicked and raced to the bathroom.

  
A slamming door woke Chibs up with a start. He quickly pulled his gun from his side table and rushed to his bedroom door, gun raised and ready. He listened closely for any signs of an intruder. Just the sounds of his daughter fumbling around the bathroom. He put his gun away and looked at the time on the digital clock. Two sixteen. Padding barefoot down the hallway he reached the bathroom and knocked lightly.

  
"Bug?" He called gently. "Ye alrigh'?" He heard her swear and something clatter to the floor.

  
"M'fine, Dad!" She replied but he could tell by the rough edge to her voice she wasn't fine. She had been crying.

  
"Darlin', wha's wrong?" He asked as his hand reached for the doorknob. "If ye had an acciden', I tol' ye it's nothin' ta be ashamed abou'." He crooned. "I'm comin' in, Izzy." He said as he twist the knob, finding it unlocked.

  
"No, Dad, don't!" Izzy cried out too late. Chibs opened the bathroom door to find his young daughter standing in the middle of the room with a huge towel wrapped around her waist and panic on her tear-stained face. She was frozen in her spot like a deer in headlights as her father surveyed the room. It was clear she'd been looking for something, but what he wasn't sure. He looked back to his scared girl and noticed the towel seemed dirty and smudged with something. That's when the metallic smell of blood hit his nose and it didn't take a high school diploma to figure out what happened.

  
"Oh, lovebug." He sighed with a soft smile. "I think I know wha' 'appen." He stepped further into the room but Izzy stepped back, keeping the distance far. Chibs felt a stab to his heart but told himself it wasn't because she was scared of him. She was embarrassed and unsure what to do. He held his hands up, palms towards her like he was cornering a wild animal and made a wide arc across the bathroom towards the tub.  


  
"Wha- what are you doing?" She asked, voice cracking.

  
"I'm jus' gonna draw ye a warm, bubbly bath. Okay, bug? It'll help." He explained as he turned the taps to the perfect temperature and poured in the orange blossom scented bubble bath. Izzy watched as he moved around her, keeping a reasonable distance. Chibs dug under the sink for some incense and set it up on the counter. He lit the sticks and within moments, they added the warm smell of sandlewood to the air. It mixed with the bright, citrus scent of the bubbles to create a relaxing and calming scent that had Izzy taking deep breaths in to enjoy it. "I'll be righ' back, okay? Why don' you ge' yer jams off an' hop in." He instructed softly. Izzy nodded and watched her dad leave the bathroom, pulling the door shut some behind him.

  
Chibs bawked at the sight in Isabelle's room. He couldn't believe it. It honestly looked like a murder happened. Carefully, he wadded the blankets and sheets up into a ball and shoved them into the garbage bag he'd retrieved from the kitchen. There was no saving this stuff. As he dragged the bag towards the stairs, he stopped by the bathroom and knocked before pushing the door and seeing Izzy was neck deep in hot, soapy bath water. He smiled down at her before gathering the towel and her pajamas, leaving the room again. He took the bag of bloody linens downstairs and out into the backyard. He dropped it in the firepit, doused it in lighter fluid and tossed in a lit match. The flames whooshed to life quickly. He went back upstairs and dragged the mattress down. He flopped it over the giant fire and watched the polyester material catch and burn rapidly.

  
Was it necessary? No. Was it a bit over the top? Yes. Could he have tried to clean the mattress? Yes. But did this save the two of them the awkward and embarrassing conversations with each other and eventually the neighbors when Chibs set the trashcans by the curb tomorrow? Hell yes. So we burn.

  
Now that the easy part was taken care of, Chibs went back inside and grabbed a hoodie. He called Gemma as he put some socks and shoes on.

  
_"This better be fuckin' important."Gemma growled into the phone._

  
"Aye, it is. It's Izzy." Chibs answered.

  
_"What's wrong?" She asked, panicking slightly at hearing the Scotsman mention his kid._

  
"Well, nothin' I guess. Bu'... she started her thing." He replied awkwardly.

  
_"Her what?"_

  
"The woman thing." He clarified not so clearly. He could practically hear Gemma deciphering what he'd said.

  
_"Chibs, are you scared to say the word?" She teased. Chibs grunt like a caveman in response. "So, she got her first period, huh?" He answered affirmatively. "And what? You want me to come over and help?"_

  
"Yes. Please." He begged earning a scoff from the sleepy biker queen.

  
_"No." She stated bluntly. "Welcome to the real world, Dad." She hung up on him._

  
"Shite." Chibs grumbled and snapped his phone shut before heading to the bathroom to check on Izzy. "Hey, bug." He cooed softly as he stepped inside. Izzy looked up at him with a bubble beard, grinning. "Good look on ye." He teased before setting a prepaid flip phone on the tiles around the tub. "I'm gonna zip ta the twen'y-four pharmacy. Ye stay righ' here an' relax, okay? I've go' my prepaid if ye need me."

  
"Okay, Daddy." Izzy said in a little voice. Chibs leaned down and kissed the crown of her head before leaving.

  
Chibs stood in the feminine hygeine aisle for a long time. The twenty-four hour Charming Pharmacy was more like a convenience/general store with a pharmacy counter in the back and old photo lab. But that was small town living. It was the only store open all night and you certainly paid the price for it as Chibs looked at the cost of sanitary pads and tampons. He had absolutely no idea what he was looking for but was too stubborn to ask for help. There were maybe two other customers milling around and two employees.

  
One employee, a balding middle-aged man with coke bottle glasses and a "manager" name tag just screamed little dick energy and spent the whole time glaring at Chibs as he pretended to sweep the same spot near the pharmacy counter. The other employee was a young woman in her early twenties looking bored and annoyed with being on nightshift as she sat at the cash registers up front drumming her fingers on the countertop. One of the customers, an elderly little white-haired granny with a neon purple walker wandered into the aisle after some time. She made a beeline for Chibs.

  
"S'cuse me, young man." She warbled sweetly. Chibs looked down at her confused.

  
"Aye?"

  
"You seem troubled." She commented in that caring way old ladies do. "I imagine you're not shopping for yourself." She gestured to the shelves of products with a teasing grin. Chibs chuckled and shook his head.

  
"My daugh'er, she's twelve. She jus' started... this." He waved his hand at the various packages. "I 'ave no idea wha' I'm lookin' fer."

  
"Oh, well bless your heart, sweet boy." The woman swooned. "Single parent, I take it?" Chibs nodded. "Well, let's see if we can find the right product, shall we?"

  
This stranger, this elderly lady, spent twenty minutes helping Chibs decide which things to get. She steered him away from tampons with the brief explanation of how they're used and they looked at the pads. They picked out a variety of sizes and brands, dumping it all in the red plastic basket Chibs carried. It was less embarrassing than he'd expected the task to be but he figured it helped having the old woman helping. And she didn't stop at one aisle. She took him around the little store and filled his basket with all the essentials she remembered every girl needing back in her youth. Lots and lots of chocolate bars, favorite ice cream, hot cocoa, heating pad, menstrual pain relief medicine, and a soothing soundscapes CD. Chibs had also found some fuzzy socks he thought Izzy would like, a black dog plushie, silly mug, and a new leather bound journal.

  
The young woman at the register raised an eyebrow at him while she rang all of his items up but said nothing. The little old lady stood behind him a few moments later having found what she'd gone there for and the pair spoke a bit more about Isabelle. When the employee realized why he was buying everything, she went from suspicious of him to swooning over him. The old woman gave him a knowing look when the cashier began openly flirting with Chibs but he just shook his head and chuckled. He gathered his bags and stepped to the side while the old woman rung up. When her total was given, he was quick to throw a fifty on the counter before she even looked at her purse. Of course she refused.

  
"I insist, hen." Chibs said sweetly. "Ye helped me wit' this stuff fer my daugh'er. Least I can do. Ye 'ave a g'night, gran." He gave the woman a gentle yet firm hug and kissed her cheek before leaving the store.

  
As soon as Chibs returned home, he put the ice cream away and started boiling water for the cocoa. He dumped the food and comfort stuff on the coffee table in the living room and turned a couple small lamps on. He grabbed the socks and bag of pads and went upstairs. He retrieved undies from Izzy's room and an old SAMCRO t-shirt of his that was too small. Granny had told him Izzy might prefer a loose nightgown rather than constricting pj pants to help ease her cramping but she didn't own any. The shirt would have to do. He brought everything into the bathroom and greet Izzy.

  
"You were gone a long time. Water's cold." Izzy giggled as she pressed her front against the side of the tub and folded her arms on the edge, setting her chin down.

  
"Sorry, bug. I had no idea wha' I was doin'." Chibs admitted with a sheepish grin. "Bu', I go' ye some options. There's instructions on the packaging." He said, showing her one of the packs. "Please don' need my help." He begged teasingly.

  
"I can follow directions, Daddy." Izzy rolled her eyes.

  
"'Course ye ca'. So, dry off, take some time ta figure ou' which works, ge' dressed an' come downstairs, aye?"

  
"Aye." She replied with a smile and firm nod.

  
"Good bug." He turned to leave the room. "Oh, I bough' ye some fuzzy socks if yer feet ge' cold, too."

  
"Cool!"

  
Fifteen minutes later, Isabelle made her way into the living room. She stared in confusion at her father sitting on the couch and the mass of stuff before him. Chibs looked up from the book he was reading and smiled. Izzy was wearing the grey kitty fuzzy socks and his t-shirt which fell passed her knees. The sleeves were wicked baggy and long on her arms but she looked adorable. Chibs waved her over and she gingerly sat on the edge of the couch to better examine the coffee table.

  
"As I understand it, ye'll need lots'a chocolate fer the nex' few days." He started awkwardly, gesturing to the stacks of candy bars and offering her one of the large mugs of cocoa with a heavy helping of whipped cream on top. Izzy turned the black mug around to find a depiction of a ladybug but its black spots were all shaped like hearts.

  
"A lovebug." She giggled and took a sip of the warm, soothing drink. She couldn't see it, but her father grinned from ear to ear and his face turned a shade of pink at seeing her appreciating and liking the mug.

  
"Go' ye some meds ta help wit' cramps and heatin' pad fer tha', too. A few other things migh' be comfortin' fer ye. An' I go' ye a new frien' if ye need a wee cuddle." He picked up the black dog and gave it to her.

  
"Thank you, Daddy." She said, leaning into his side. He kissed the top of her head and wrapped an arm around her, rubbing her shoulder. "Can I have a pain pill?" She asked softly and he quickly grabbed the bottle and shook out a lavender-colored pill.

  
"Think ye can ge' back ta sleep?" Chibs asked lightly. Izzy shook her head. "Aye, don' think I can either. Come on." He scoot back into his spot by the arm of the couch and kicked his feet up on a throw pillow he'd set on the coffee table, crossing his ankles. He raised his arm to the back of the couch and motioned to his daughter. "Ge' comfy. We'll find a movie ta watch."

  
"But I have school in the morning." Izzy reminded her father.

  
"Ach! Ye deserve a day off, been through a bit o' a trauma t'night. I'll call ye ou' in the morn'." Chibs waved off her concern much to Izzy's delight. She handed him her drink which he set beside his on the side table and picked up the remote as she moved around to lay her back against the side of his torso and stretch her legs out across the couch. "Wan' the heatin' pad?" He asked as she pulled the black woven Harley Davidson logo blanked from the back of the couch and covered herself with it. Chibs grabbed a smaller blanket that was tucked under the side table and threw it over his legs. After it settled, he realized it was a pink fleece with unicorns and rainbows all over it but he just sighed.

  
"No, thanks." Izzy denied politely as she set her new puppy dog in her lap and asked for her cocoa back. As Chibs handed it to her carefully, she excitedly pointed to the tv. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was on one of the movie channels. "Ooh, look! Charlie is gonna find his golden ticket! We haven't missed much!" She exclaimed making her father chuckle.

  
"Alrigh', we'll watch it." He set the remote down and picked up his own blue 'World's Greatest Dad' mug.

  
"Daddy?" Izzy asked quietly a few minutes later, squirming in her spot.

  
"Yes, bug?" He asked with concern.

  
"Can you rub my tummy? It still hurts." She whimpered softly.

  
"Absolutely, luv. Here." He took another of the throw pillows he'd set on the floor and put it in his lap. Izzy moved to lay down after setting her now empty mug on the coffee table. Chibs carefully set his arm around her and gently yet firmly rubbed soothing circles into her little aching belly. "Bet'er?" He stroked her hair with his other hand and felt her nod before she yawned. "I r'member doin' this fer ye when ye were jus' a wee lassie. Whenever ye were sick, it was the only way ta ge' ye ta sleep."

  
"Mm-hmm." Izzy hummed lightly. Chibs could already see the action still had the same effect on her as her eyelids started drooping and she cuddled her plush dog closer.

  
"Love ye, m'wee bug." He whispered as her eyes closed. He smiled tenderly when she mumbled her reply before he leaned his head back on the couch and watched Grandpa Joe suddenly start dancing around the little one room hovel Charlie and his family lived in.

~~~~~End Flashback~~~~~


	7. You're Grounded... Okay, You Aren't

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm aware of how absolutely ridiculous the title of this chapter is. I just don't care. The chapter is one of my favorites anyway.

"ISABELLE!" Chibs bellowed from the clubhouse doorway. He heard her swear with a crash as she likely jumped out of her seat at the sudden shout. A moment later, the fifteen year old scurried out of the office, across the lot, and raced into the open clubhouse door. Once her eyes adjusted to the light, she spot Chibs standing behind Jax and Auggie. The pair of seventeen year olds were sat in chairs at one of the tables with their heads hanging down. "Sit."

  
Izzy didn't need to be told twice, she knew that tone. He was angry. And from the way neither of her brothers looked at her, she suspected they were part of the reason why he was angry. She took a seat at the table and glared at the tops of the boys' heads.

  
"Ye wan' ta explain ta me why ye 'ave loaded dice?" He growled. Izzy snapped her head up to argue, but was silenced by a raise of his hand. "Ah! Don' try an' put blame on the boys, missus. I know yer handiwork when I see it." Chibs reached into his pocket and threw whatever he had across the table. Several dice in varying colors scattered over the wooden surface. They all suspiciously landed on the same number.

  
"Who says they're mine?" She tried to defend herself knowing it was fruitless. Chibs raised an eyebrow, challenging her to further deny it. "Shit." She mumbled as she slumped back in her chair. All the proof he needed was in the numbers. Fives everywhere faced the ceiling, her lucky number. "How'd you find out?" She sighed, defeated.

"Mutt an' Jeff 'ere," He leaned close to the boys and tightly gripped the backs of their necks as they squirmed. "Tried ta swindle some customers waitin' on their cars. They can' pull a switch as seamless as ye can. Got caugh' by a rich bastard tryin' ta take him fer a grand." He gave the boys a shove before releasing their necks. "When backed inta a corner, they sang like canaries. Said they found 'em in yer backpack."

  
"Jesus Christ." Izzy mumbled, facepalming. Jax rubbed his neck as he slouched.

  
"Would'a been fine if numbnuts hadn't dropped the dice." He muttered, jabbing a thumb in Auggie's direction.

  
"Hey, you're the greedy dipshit that wouldn't quit while we were ahead!" Auggie fired back, pointing at his partner-in-crime.

  
"None of us would be here if you two hadn't taken my shit!" Izzy shouted. She smacked some of the dice off the table, watching as they clattered across the clubhouse floor.

  
"OI!" Chibs shout to cease the arguing. "She's righ'. If ye two muppets hadn' tried yer luck at sligh' o' hand, none o' ye would be in the shite."

  
"This is your fault!" Both boys point a finger at Izzy.

  
"Who's fault was what?" Gemma came into the clubhouse carrying grocery bags and set them on the bar.

  
"The Unholy Trio," Chibs began, gesturing to the three teens. "'Ave been throwin' dice. Iz at school an' then yer son an' Aug tried ta hustle a customer an' got caugh'."

  
"Well, shit." Gemma sighed as she gave a withering look to her son who shrank in his seat. "Did you deal with the customer?" She asked Chibs.

  
"Aye, he go' the hustled dough back an' I waved his bill ta keep peace."

  
"Good." Gemma stomped to the table and grabbed Jax by the ear, pulling him from his seat. "Lemme know how much the bill was. The boys can work the debt off." She declared, fixing Auggie with a look. He nodded quickly to show he understood.

  
"Ow, Ma! Let go of my ear!" Jax cried out as he was bent over and she dragged him towards the clubhouse door.

  
"Jackson Nathaniel Teller, do not test me more! Get in the Caddy. You're grounded."

  
The three left in the clubhouse watched the mother and son leave. After a moment, Tig came in, wiping his hands with a grease-stained rag. He went straight to the bar and grabbed a beer before he noticed the others. He went to their table with a curious expression and looked at the dice, Izzy, Auggie, then up to Chibs for an explanation.

  
"Hustlin' at school. The boys did it here, as well." Chibs said, already tired of repeating himself. "Fixed the issue wit' the guy, waved his bill. Gem already said boys'll work the debt off." Tig nodded and looked down at his son.

  
"August." He sighed, his tone full of disappointment. "Dude, go home. Now. We'll talk when I get there." Auggie got out of his chair slowly with his head hung in shame. He went to trudge past Tig when the older man stopped him. Tig put a hand to the side of Auggie's face and tilt it up to look at him. He huffed, seeing the defeated look on the teen's face and gave his cheek a rough pat before sending him on his way. He looked down at Izzy and back up at Chibs with a slight glare. "This was your idea." He insisted, vaguely gesturing between the two kids, himself and Chibs. The Scotsman shrugged.

  
"No' my fault the lad chose ye. I would'a taken 'em both." He smirked knowingly. "Ye love bein' a Da an' finally havin' a son."

  
"I do." Tig grinned back. "I really do." He gave his brother a fist bump before he leaned over and kissed the crown of Izzy's head. "Good luck, doll." He muttered into her hair before heading back to the garage to finish his shift. Izzy tenatively looked up at Chibs. He was looking at her with an unreadable expression.

  
"Sorry, Dad." She mumbled, looking down at the table. Chibs let out a heavy sigh and moved around the table to her side.

  
"Up." He said softly. Izzy stood up, her head down and staring at their boots. Chibs cupped her face and tilt her head up so she'd look at him. He brushed his thumbs tenderly across her cheeks. "Wha' am I gonna do wit' ye, mo chridhe?" He chide softly. Izzy shrugged.

  
"Tell me you love me, not ground me, and forget I did anything wrong?" She hoped. Chibs snickered, a crooked smirk appearing.

  
"I do love ye. But ye are grounded an' I'm no' forgettin'."

  
"Damnit." Izzy sighed making Chibs laugh again. He pulled her head closer and leaned down to kiss her forehead. He motioned to the table and Izzy began gathering the dice.

  
"So, how much did ye make?" He asked as he went to the bar for a beer, grabbing a soda for his daughter.

  
"A bit." Izzy replied vaguely. She saw the look her father gave her. "What? If I tell you, you'll just take it from me and stick it in the safe. It isn't honest money but it's still my money."

  
"Righ'." Chibs rolled his eyes.

  
"It's not like most of your money is made honestly either, Dad." She put a hand on her hip as she sassed him. He point the bottle of Pepsi at her.

  
"Watch it." He warned, fighting off a grin.

  
"What's goin' on with Jax and Aug?" Opie asked as he came out from the apartment hallway. "I just got texts from them. Are we not going to the show tonight?" He looked to Izzy for an answer. She looked at her father with pleading eyes. Chibs pursed his lips tightly, letting out a sharp breath through his nose.

  
"Dad, please." Izzy begged as Opie watched on, confused. "I know I'm supposed to be grounded but can't my punishment start tomorrow? We've been waiting months for this."

  
"What happened?" Opie asked, looking back and forth between the Telfords. Izzy sighed.

  
"Jax and Auggie found my dice." She told him, tossing one his way. Opie caught it easily and held it in his palm.

  
"Told you they were a bad idea." Opie grumbled. Chibs scoffed, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow at his daughter.

  
"Okay, yes, I get that now. But, come on! It's Pro Wrestling Guerrilla! The Lucha Bros versus The Young Bucks! Joey Janela challenges Bandido for the world title!" She explained desperately turning to her father. "Ground me for eternity! But start it tomorrow! Please!" Chibs chewed his bottom lip as Izzy gave him the most pathetic look she's ever done.

  
"Chris'." He mumbled, giving in. "Alrigh'! Ye can go wit' Ope t'nigh'. Bu' tomorrow... no more fun!" He declared pointing his finger at her to show he meant business when he knew damn well he'd cave again in the near future for something else.


	8. Unsettled

Auggie's old blue 90's Ford Ranger pick-up swung into the TM lot at 4:02pm. Opie and Izzy were in the bed laughing their asses off at being slid and rolled around as the young man had rushed through town to make it to work on time from Charming High. He and Jax exited the cab before the engine had even completely shut off and rushed for the garage, throwing their grey work button-ups on over their tees. Opie hopped out of the bed and reached over to help Izzy down. Tig started shouting at Opie to get his ass to work before Izzy had a chance to say anything, the pair shared a soft look and Opie's hand caught hers briefly before he followed the other two eighteen year olds into the garage. Izzy shook her head in amusement before waving to Gemma in the office and going into the clubhouse to start her homework.

  
"Hey, peanut." Piney greet the sixteen year old from his seat at the bar. After tossing her backpack in a chair at one of the three round tables, she gave the old man a big hug and skipped behind the bar for a soda. She refilled Piney's pint of beer in the process. "How's school?"

  
"Fine. School is school, ya know? Bunch'a jocks and cheerleaders bullying the nerds into doing their homework while the social outcasts avoid everyone like the plague and sit under the big oak tree playing Magic: The Gathering. Meanwhile, underpaid staff attempt to teach us things that- 90% of- will prove useless in the real world and try to act like they aren't slowly dying inside at the lack of care or attention most of their students give them." She replied as she filled a pint glass with crushed ice and Pepsi.

  
"Uh-huh." Piney scoffed. "So, didya win?" He asked with a smirk. Izzy gave him a fake stink eye before setting her drink on her table and pulling a small black leather box from her bag, handing it to him.

  
"My Mono-Black Vampire deck beats Ope's Green Stompie every time, Piney. You know that." She grinned as he slid her victory list from the deck box and read the latest MTG wins.

  
"Atta girl." He gruffed. "What does he owe ya?"

  
"Five Reese's, two bags of Funyons, and the next deck builder's toolkit that comes out Friday. Plus, he has to mow my yard every week for the next three months."

  
"I bet Chibs is happy for that." The old man wheezed as he laughed.

  
"Thrilled. Have you seen our yard? Takes Dad over an hour just to do the back and that was with the rider."

  
"What happened to the rider?" Izzy gave him a mischevious smirk.

  
"I may have misplaced the keys." She shrugged casually. Piney stared at her in disbelief.

  
"Are ya trying to kill my boy? You know his lazy ass doesn't do manual labor when it isn't paid."

  
"It's not like I'm making him do it with some push mower antique hunk of crap. We have the gas powered lawnmower."

  
An hour later, Isabelle was the only one in the clubhouse. Most of the guys had either gone on a gun run or were still working in the garage. She was so focused on finishing her essay for English that she didn't hear when someone had come in the back door. As Izzy sat up and rolled her stiff neck, a pair of large hands came down on her shoulders. She squeaked and jumped in surprise. A deep chuckle sent an uncomfortable chill down her spine.

  
"Sorry, kid. Didn't mean to scare ya." Clay said as his fingers squeezed her shoulders. Izzy tensed, willing his hands to let go. "Neck botherin' ya? You've been hunched over your books for a while." He spoke in this sickly sweet gravel that may as well been nails on a chalkboard and began massaging her shoulders and neck roughly.

  
"Naw, I'm go-good, Clay." She stuttered, shrugging in an attempt to get him to stop touching her. "I really need to finish my essay." She bit back a sigh of relief when Clay moved away from her.

  
"Essay, huh?" He feigned interest as he went behind the bar to grab a beer. "What's it about?"

  
"Familial loyalty."

  
"Fascinating." He scoffed. Izzy rolled her eyes as she looked back down at her notebook and grumbled.

  
"Like you'd know anything about loyalty."

  
"What did you say?" Clay snapped, slamming his beer on the bar top and stomping to Izzy's table. She refused to answer or look up at the man glaring daggers at her. Clay snatched her notebook from under her hands and scanned over what she'd written. She talked about loyalty to your parents and the pros and cons of being loyal to someone. Clay slammed the notebook on the table and bent down, getting close to her ear. She could feel his hot breath on her neck and it made her want to vomit. "There's only one kind of loyalty that matters in this family. And that's to this club and its President. Be wise to remember that." He growled before he turned and left the clubhouse. Izzy slowly unfurled herself from the cowering she'd been in and let out a shakey breath.

  
"Jesus fuck." She whispered. A few minutes later, Chibs walked in. He'd been searching for her since getting back from his last repo. When he spot her at the table, he grew concerned. She was staring at her work with her hands clenched into fists resting on the table on either side of her notebook. Her body looked like it was vibrating from how she was shaking.

  
"Are ya alrigh', bug?" He asked as he rushed to her and crouched beside her chair. He gently touched her arm and she seemed to snap out of whatever trance she was in, gasping and looking down at him. "Isabelle, what's wrong?" His eyes held a deep worry for his daughter as he took in her glassy eyes and trembling bottom lip.

  
"Nothin'." She muttered unconvincingly.

  
"C'mere, mo chridhe." Chibs stood up and carefully guide Izzy to stand and follow him to one of the couches. He sat down and pulled her across his lap, cradling her like he used to when she was little. He murmured soothingly in Gaelic as he slowly rocked her back and forth, one arm securing her in his lap while he stroked his fingers through her hair with his other hand. He felt Izzy pull his mala beads out from his shirt and start fiddling with them like she used to and rest her temple against his shoulder.

  
"I'm not a baby, Dad." She mumbled, petulance in her tone. He snickered. The deep rumble in his chest was comforting to hear with her ear pressed to him.

  
"So ye say." He teased. "Bu' yer my daugh'er an' tha' means I ge' ta do this an' ye ge' ta shut up an' deal wit' it. Yer my wee lovebug no matter yer age." Izzy made a grunt in protest though remained as she was. After counting the mala beads five times, Izzy let the necklace drop against her father's shirt and sighed.

  
"Tha gaol agam ort." She said softly. Chibs kissed her forehead.

  
"Tha gaol agam ort cruideachd, mo chridhe." He replied before he nudged her head with his shoulder. Izzy sat straight and looked up at her father. "Now, wha's wit' all this? Ye looked scared an' upset when I came in."

  
"Just in my head, I guess. Essay topic is about family and shit. I let my mind wander. Must'a zoned out." It wasn't a total lie. But Izzy sure as shit wasn't going to tell her father that when no one was looking, Clay was making her extremely uncomfortable. He'd been doing it for the better part of two years now. Pretty much since she developed breasts and a proper ass. He leered at her from across the room or touched her. When she was forced to hug him in some social setting where everyone was hugging it was always a little too long, a little too tight, and one of his hands was always a little too low. But he was the club president. She didn't need to be making waves with the guy. And telling Chibs how she felt and what Clay'd been doing would mean her dad distrusting Clay and causing problems for the club. She couldn't risk that. "Got thinkin' about before, ya know?"

  
"Poor girl." Chibs sighed and ran a hand through her hair again. "Ye gotta stop thinkin' abou' tha' shite. Yer in a bet'er place now, righ'? I'm doin' an okay job, I think." Izzy giggled softly, nodding.

  
"The best job." She assured him. "Seriously, I'm as happy as an outlaw on a Harley. Sometimes I just wish I knew what the fuck happened."

  
"I ge' it. An' maybe when yer an adult, we'll look into it. Find ou' t'gether, okay?"

  
"Yeah, okay. Best not to dwell, right?" She gave Chibs a half smile.

  
"Righ'." He kissed her forehead. "Now, how abou' we hit the diner fer supper? An' we'll stop at the card shop on the way." He suggested, wanting to make his daughter happy again. It worked because she smiled widely and jumped from his lap.

  
"Hell yes!" She cheered as she began gathering her books and shoving them in her bag. Chibs laughed and they went outside to his bike. Izzy shoved her bag in the saddlebag before turning towards the garage. "Lemme say goodbye to the guys first."

  
"Alrigh'y." Chibs agreed as he strapped his helmet on and sat on his bike, lighting a cigarette.

  
"Leavin'?" Jax asked as he set his screwdriver on his workbench.

  
"Yeah. Dad suggested the diner. So." She shrugged.

  
"He always suggests the diner." Auggie teased as he came out of the office with a clipboard in hand. Opie joined the three by Jax's station.

  
"Cuz he knows Iz will never refuse the diner." He added with a smirk. Izzy scowled at the three.

  
"Keep picking on me and I'll make sure Dad votes no when y'all's prospect year is up." She threatened lightheartedly.

  
"Sure, sis." Auggie replied, shoving her shoulder playfully. "We still on for tomorrow?" He asked looking at the others. Jax shrugged.

  
"As far as I know." He said. "Joey said the movie starts at eight. Wants to meet at that Chinese place in Stockton for dinner."

  
"Isn't that Lin's place?" Auggie asked suspiciously.

  
"Yup." Izzy answered with a sigh. "But she doesn't know that. And she loves the orange chicken they do so she's deadset."

  
"We should take the trucks, leave our kuttes in them when we eat, and pray no one recognizes us." Opie suggested. A bike engine revved and Izzy turned to wave her dad off.

  
"I gotta go. Hug me." She demanded with a smile. Auggie hugged her first, kissing her temple. Jax hugged her next, spinning them around once. As she moved to Opie, the other two casually moved and stood in front of him and Izzy, lighting cigs up. Opie leaned down and wrapped his arms around Izzy's waist as she wrapped hers around his neck. As they pulled apart, his hands copped a feel of her backside, squeezing roughly. Izzy bit back a moan and glared at him. Opie winked and walked back to his station to continue changing an alternator while Izzy tried to control her face, stop it from going red as she felt the heat creep up her neck. Chibs revved his engine again. "Okay! I'm coming!" She sassed.


	9. Chinese Food Fight

Opie borrowed his dad's old pick up truck and picked up Izzy and Joey before meeting up with Jax and Auggie in Aug's pick up. The group drove to Stockton and parallel parked across from the entrance to the Chinese restaurant. The guys wore plain clothes and kept their prospect kuttes in the trucks hoping that no one would recognize them. Everything went smoothly for a while. They were sat at a round booth and served their drinks as they would be in any restaurant. They ordered a mess of food and spent the next hour passing plates and platters around as they talked and laughed. No one was suspicious looking or suspicious of the teens the whole meal. That is until a group of young Asian men- seventeen to twenty years old- all dressed in casual business attire entered the dining area from the kitchens.

  
August and Joey were in a heated conversation about which Friday the 13th part was the worst, Jax was stuffing a scallion pancake in his mouth, and Opie had an arm around Isabelle's shoulders with his head against hers whispering something in her ear that was making her face turn tomato red. As Jax was attempting to chew with his fat mouth closed, he looked up and saw the six or seven guys make their way across the room.

  
"Shit." Jax mumbled gaining Opie and Izzy's attention. They followed his line of sight and echoed his sentiment. Izzy kicked August's shin under the table and glared behind him. He didn't have to look to know trouble was brewing. Attempting not to alarm Joey, the SAMCRO teens made excuses to pay the bill and leave, citing needing to hit the candy store before the movies so they could sneak stuff in. August and Opie went outside to get the trucks ready to haul ass while Jax went and paid. Joey had insisted on using the restroom so Izzy followed suit. As far as they knew, Lin's guys hadn't spotted- or worse, recognized- them. Jax joined the other guys outside and waited for the ladies to finish up. They lit up smokes as they stood between the trucks when the group they were trying to avoid walked outside and also lit up cigarettes.

  
"Why are you guys acting so weird?" Joey asked as she and Izzy washed their hands.

  
"What? No, we're not." Izzy replied in a high pitch offended tone. Joey gave her a look that said 'cut the bullshit' and she sighed. "Look, trust me, okay? We just really need to get outta here." Joey nodded solemnly, she knew better than to question her best friend when she had that serious look on her face. They left the bathroom and noticed the chatter in the restaurant had risen some. Everyone seemed to be gathering around the tables by the front windows. "Shit." Izzy grumbled and raced out the doors, Joey close behind.

  
Out in the street, the three SAMCRO prospects were brawling with Lin's crew. It was two-to-one odds but they were holding their own for the most part. It didn't stop Izzy from entering the fray when she saw one large dude holding Opie's arms behind his back while some kid who'd seen way too many Jackie Chan films worked over his chest and stomach. With a warrior's cry, Izzy rushed the smaller guy and jumped on his back. She wrapped one arm around his throat while she dropped hard elbows to the crown of his head. Opie managed to sling his head back, making contact with the big guy's nose and broke free when he reached for the geyser of blood rushing from his smashed face. Opie turned and laid a massive haymaker into him, knocking him out and turned to watch the other guy finally drop to one knee. Opie moved and lift a knee under his chin, rendering him unconscious as well. Izzy stumbled off the limp body and looked up at Opie.

  
"I had him!" She shout before running off to help beat up someone else.

  
"You're welcome!" Opie shout back before grabbing the nearest Asian in a suit and scuffling with him.

  
Joey watched on in shock as her friends were in an all-out war with too many guys. It seemed for every one they incapacitated, another appeared to take his place. She watched Izzy lay headbutts into a few different guys before one sucker punched her from out of nowhere. It took seeing her best friend get kicked in the stomach twice before something inside the quiet, country girl snapped and she picked up the ashtray set outside the restaurant doors. She ran across the street and hit a homerun on this guy's back. He went sprawling onto the pavement and she dropped her weapon, immediately helping Isabelle up.

  
"Holy fuck!" Izzy exclaimed with a grin before grimacing and bending over, holding her stomach.

  
The fighting finally stopped when police sirens echoed down the street and cruisers blocked them in on either side. San Joaquin Sheriffs ordered everyone in the street to assume the position. Opie raced to Izzy's side and checked to make she was okay as two female officers marched over. One began cuffing a mortified Joey while the other tried to stand Izzy upright and yanked one arm behind her back, making her cry out. Opie tried to push the officer away but was thrown to the ground by two much bigger male policemen.

  
Isabelle, Harry, Jackson, August, and Josephine were transferred to Charming PD after the sheriffs determined they didn't have room for everyone without fighting to happen in cells and they found the prospect kuttes in the trucks. The commanding officer figured they'd let Charming handle the Charming outlaws. Chief Unser was more than a little annoyed at the inconvenience of having to send a van to transport them and as a result, waited a while before finally calling Clay Morrow to let him know their kids were in his lockup.

  
Claire pulled up outside of the police station moments before the roar of motorcycles announced the presence of SAMCRO. She shook her head with a somewhat amused grin. She should be furious with the motorcycle club. Her marriage fell apart, she's almost lost her job on more than one occasion, and her daughter is currently in jail for getting into a street fight. All these things could be laid at the feet of the club. But, she wasn't mad at the guys. It wasn't all the club's fault. Her now ex-husband was a complete jackass, she bent the rules for them because she wanted to and not because they pressured her, and she knew her daughter well enough to know she wouldn't have been fighting without good reason. She parked beside a cop car and got out as Gemma pulled her large SUV up beside her and smiled.

  
"Evenin', Claire." She greet the woman. Considering the Biker Queen's reputation, Claire was surprised she was so cordial with her. She smiled back and gave a small wave as they converged with the men. Clay threw his arm around his wife's shoulders while Piney, Tig, and Chibs formed a semi circle in front of them. Chibs held his hand out for Claire to shake.

  
"Sorry 'bout this, Mrs. Hale." He apologized awkwardly.

  
"Miss." She corrected quickly with a flirty smile. "Rylin. Divorce went through last week. I went back to my maiden name." She explained.

"But, you know you can call me Claire, Chibs. Our girls are basically attached at the hip."

  
"Aye. Claire." Chibs said, a crooked grin on his face. The others exchanged looks before Unser poked his head out the front door of the building and called for the group. Clay and Gemma went first followed by Tig and Piney. Chibs made a gesture for Claire to go first and she blushed, thanking him and rushing in behind the others.

  
"What happened, Wayne?" Gemma asked as he ushered them down the hallway towards the three holding cells in the back.

  
"Uh, fighting. Outside that Chinese place in Stockton." He said, waving a hand around as he remembered the details his sheriff buddy told him. "Wasn't a fair fight. Your five against a dozen or more. San Joa only caught about eight Chinese guys."

  
"Then why were they arrested?" Claire piped up from the back. "Self defense, right?" She tried and earned an approving smirk from Chibs.

  
"Ms. Rylin," Wayne addressed her, stopping the group. "Josephine whacked a guy across the back with an ashtray stand." Everyone looked at Claire in surprise. "Fortunately, witnesses say that was the only time she got involved and she did it defending Izzy. She's clear but she refused to leave the others."

  
"What about the boys? And Isabelle?" Gemma asked. Wayne looked to the Biker Queen and sighed.

  
"That's up to San Joa. They're only here instead of the sheriff's cuz they didn't have room to take everyone. This isn't the first offense... for any of them." He added, looking pointedly at Chibs in particular. "I got a buddy over there. I'll see if I can get them a deal. Drop charges. Hafta do it for the other group, too though. Lin's guys. Might do, we'll see. Best ya can hope for is a slap on the wrist, but the boys are over eighteen now."

  
"Wha' abou' Izzy?" Chibs asked.

  
"Thankfully, she's still seventeen. And I don't reckon Lin wants word on the street some of his boys got beat up by a girl. Bad for business an' all." The guys and Gemma chuckled. "Been a minute since I seen the carnage Isabelle can cause. Definitely your kid, Scottie. One witness described her as 'the crazy headbutting chick'." The old cop shook his head with a scoff and a grin before he continued down the hallway.

  
Izzy laid on the steel cot in the cell on a stack of the guys' hoodies with her head on Opie's thigh. August and Jax sat on the floor opposite them with Joey stretched across their laps. They were joking and laughing, carrying on like they weren't sitting in a holding cell at the cop shop. Their parents entered the back room and stood back while Unser unlocked the cell.

  
"Hi, Mom!" Joey greet as she got to her feet. Ms. Rylin rolled her eyes at the jovial attitude her daughter had but hugged her as she stepped out of jail.

  
"Hi, sweetness." Claire kissed her forehead before using her hands, signing they'd talk at home. Joey nod, giving the sign for 'okay' before saying goodnight to her friends. Jax apologized to her for the fight causing them to miss the movie. Tig pulled Auggie by the neck closer to him so he could examine the cuts and bruises on his face.

  
"You look like hell, Aug." He teased.

  
"You should see the other guy." The young man replied before they led the way outside. Piney simply slung his arm around Opie's neck and jostled him with a chuckle while Gemma fussed over Jax and Clay told her to ease up. Izzy and Chibs brought up the rear.

  
"Sorry, Dad." Izzy apologized after some silence between them. Chibs sighed and wrapped his arm around her middle, pulling her against his side and kissing her temple.

  
"S'alrigh', bug." He assured softly. "Ye held yer own. Tha's the impor'nt part." She wrapped her arms around his torso. The group made it to the parking lot and away from prying ears before Clay turned around and smacked the boys upside their heads. Izzy flinched when he looked at her, half expecting him to smack her, too. He simply glared before addressing all of them.

  
"The hell were you thinking?! Lin's place?!" He whisper-shout.

  
"We didn't wear our kuttes inside. And we went in the trucks." Jax defended as he rubbed the back of his head where Clay's ringed fingers connected. "Joey wanted to eat there before the movie. We thought we were okay."

  
"Yeah, we went the whole meal without issue." Auggie added.

  
"What happened?" Piney piped up, looking to his son.

  
"Honestly, I have no fucking idea!" Opie answered. "Us three were havin' a smoke by the trucks, waiting for the girls to finish in the bathroom and we'd leave after. The Chinese fucks exited the restaurant and started shit talking us."

  
"Next thing we know, we're brawling." Jax added giving his mom a pathetic puppy face. "I'm sorry, Ma. We didn't mean to."

  
"I know, sweetheart." Gemma cooed, babying her son some more. "We'll get it sorted. Until then, you stay in Charming. All of you." She gave all four teens a pointed look.

  
"Yes, Mom." They said in unison.

  
"Brats." She snickered, directing them to her SUV. Chibs opened the back passenger door for Izzy but before letting her climb in, he checked her injuries once more. Izzy looked over her father's shoulder and saw Clay sitting on his bike. As he was strapping his helmet on, he was leering at Izzy and she remembered the rips in her shirt that exposed her stomach and bra-clad breasts. She shivered in disgust and wrapped her arms around her body.

  
"Cold, bug?" Chibs asked, mistaking the shiver as a result of the cool evening breeze. Izzy nod then felt something warm drape over her shoulders. "Good lad." Chibs said over her shoulder. Izzy didn't need to turn around to know Opie had put his big zip-up hoodie on her. She recognized that dreamy scent wafting off the cotton anywhere. She tucked her arms in and bunched the sleeves up to her elbows as Chibs kissed her forehead. "I'll see ye at home. Gem will drop ye off."

  
"Cool." Izzy acknowledged before gingerly climbing into the vehicle. She scoot to the center of the seat so Auggie could climb in beside her while Opie was already in on her other side. Jax sat up front and complained when Gemma turned the radio on to a station only she liked.


	10. Patches and Croweaters

"I GOT IT! HOLD YOUR HORSES!" Izzy shout as she went into the clubhouse kitchen. Jax made some rude noise across the room before turning back to his sweeping. The eighteen year old girl rummaged through the refrigerator looking for the stupid specific energy drink the nineteen year old prospect asked her to get for him. She grabbed her mocha coffee drink, finally finding the gross flavor of some overpriced ginseng juice hiding behind it. She shut the fridge and turned to leave but bumped into a solid mass and jumped back in shock.

  
"Sorry." Drawled Clay with a filthy Cheshire grin. "Seems I'm always scarin' ya."

  
"Yo- you just seem t-t-to sneak up outta nowhere." Isabelle stuttered, clutching the drinks to her chest. His chuckle made her skin crawl.

  
"The boys' prospect year is up tomorrow. We're voting on 'em." He told her as he stepped forward.

  
"Yup. I know."

  
"In or not, we're havin' a party."

  
"I f-figured that, Clay." Izzy said trying to find a way around him to leave.

  
"Ya know," he started as he leaned one hand on the counter holding himself at such an angle in the small room Izzy couldn't pass. "They're gonna get voted in."

  
"Obviously."

  
"But, it begs the question." He leaned forward, sneering a little. "Where does that put you?" Izzy leaned away from him.

  
"Wh-what do you mean?" Clay leaned back again and shrugged.

  
"I mean, you can't prospect. You're not an old lady." He looked her up and down. "There's really only one thing you could do for the club." Izzy's jaw dropped. Was he suggesting...? Seriously?

  
"You canno- are you saying I have to be a croweater?" She was appalled he would say that but not surprised.

  
"I'm not saying you have to... but, you could... if you want." Clay let his icy eyes slowly scan her body. Izzy could feel it as he leered at her breasts and made his way down. He took in a slow, deep breath and let it out like a sigh.

  
"Well, I don't want." Izzy declared, trying to sound final on the matter. Clay just snickered like she told a mildly amusing joke.

  
"You say that now. But we'll see." Clay straightened up and stepped closer to her. He reached up and, despite Izzy flinching away twice, tucked a chunk of loose hair from her ponytail behind her ear. His warm, calloused fingers left invisible scorch marks on her skin. "Once you've had a dick in your mouth a time or two, you'll learn to accept your place in SAMCRO." As he brushed a finger along her jaw towards her lips, Izzy clamped her mouth shut and glared at him. But she was too afraid to move.

  
"Clay, we need y-" Came the low gravelled voice of Happy as he entered the kitchen. He stopped in his tracks and stared a little stunned at the room occupants. Clay dropped his hand, smiling at his patch brother like nothing was weird. Izzy looked panicked and quickly pushed past the charter President, booking it out of the room. Happy turned his head, watching the young woman scurry across the clubhouse tossing a bright blue tall can at Jax before rushing out the door. With his eyes on her, he missed the pissed off stare Clay gave the back of his head. It was gone by the time he turned back around.

  
*****

The SAMCRO party was raging on. They were celebrating their three newest and youngest members. Opie, Jax, and Auggie were given their prospect kuttes after Auggie turned eighteen- the last of the boys to turn that year. They'd done their year and now here they were. Gone were the prospect patches and all white bikes, replaced with top rockers and blacked out Harleys. The brothers-in-arms celebrated loudly, throwing back shots and screaming macho bullshit at each other and the rest of the Sons. Some of the croweaters were quick to descend on the trio and offer up some good times. While Jax was excited for it and started making out with the blonde nearest him, August had taken his own blonde to a couch for a more private make out session.

  
Izzy sat at the bar with a rum and coke clutched in her hands. When the croweaters had surrounded the boys, she had to look away. She knew Opie had no intention of partaking in the offerings, but he had to atleast pretend he was interested to keep the older Sons from questioning him. Izzy wasn't ready to let her father know they were an item. She sipped the cold refreshment and let the alcohol do its job, absently watching the security monitors above the bar. Sons from other charters had visited for this momentous occassion, it's not every day the Prince of Charming and SAMCRO finally patches in. As she snickered at one of the screens- a croweater was dancing on a picnic table with a couple Sons around it, one Son got up to leave making the seating unbalanced and the table topple sending the half-naked woman ass over end to the cement- she didn't notice Clay take up residence in the seat beside her until she could feel his stale booze and cigar breath on her neck. She leaned away making him frown.

  
"You thought anymore about what I said yesterday?" He asked as if they were in the middle of a casual conversation.

  
"It's not happening, Clay." Izzy scoffed, the few drinks she'd had already bolstering her confidence. His frown turned deeper and he put a large hand on her shoulder, squeezing so she couldn't jerk away.

  
"You really need to stop testing my patience." He ground out through clenched teeth. "You're not in a position to refuse. I'm club President. I tell ya to do something, you do it. You don't get to refuse." Izzy wrenched her arm free of his grasp and scowled at the old biker.

  
"As you have so often pointed out to me," Izzy started, plastering on a fake cheery face. "I'm not SAMCRO. I'm nothing but a street rat. I'm not your family, blood or patch. So, I don't have to do anything you tell me to." She dropped the façade as she turned her attention back to her drink on the bar top. She was just about to take a drink when someone bumped into her from behind causing her to drop the glass. "Aw, shit!" She groaned, turning around to see Happy standing there.

  
"Sorry, kiddo." He graveled with big killer puppy dog eyes. Izzy giggled.

  
"S'okay, Uncle." She said, waving off his apology. As she turned back and grabbed a stack of cocktail napkins to sop up the mess, Happy and Clay shared a strange look.

  
"Lemme get'chu another drink, little girl." Happy offered with a warm smile as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her to lean into him- and away from Clay. The biker president snarled and slammed his hand on the bar before getting up.

  
"She shouldn't be drinking anyway. She's underage." He snapped whipping a finger at the croweater nearest them. The terrified woman nod her head vigorously and walked away. Clay stomped off.

  
"Something crawled up his butt and died." Happy mused trying to cheer Izzy up from the upset look she was now wearing. "What's wrong, kiddo?"

  
"Huh?" Izzy snapped her head up to look at him. "Oh, nothin'." Happy didn't look convinced but left it alone. "Can I get a water, CiCi?" She called to the croweater that had been run off by Clay. CiCi gave a thumbs up and finished the drink she was making for someone else then brought Izzy a huge bottle of icy cold water. "Thanks, hon." She picked it up and rotate her bar seat around 180. "Think I'm gonna go to the dorms. Get away from the noise for a bit. Don't feel so hot anymore." Happy nodded.

  
"I'm sure the sight of Chibs getting a lap dance isn't helping." He teased. At the mention of her dad, her eyes sought him out automatically and she gagged glaring up at her pseudo-uncle.

  
"I hate you so much." She slipped from her seat and accepted another one-armed hug from the Tacoma Killer with a heart of gold. He kissed the top of her head with a deep chuckle.

  
"Love you, too, Iz." He gave her arm a rough pat. "You ever need to talk, I'm here." He told her, the comment seeming to come from left field. Izzy looked up at him a little confused but appreciative.

  
"It's just a headache, Hap." She told him before working her way through the crowd.

  
Opie pushed his way to the bar and asked for a beer. As he leaned his elbows on the bar top and took in his surroundings, he caught sight of Izzy scampering off towards the dorms. He was handed his beer and took a sip as he tried to act casual when he noticed Happy sitting there looking in the same direction. He frowned briefly before shaking his head and snickering at himself for even thinking what he thought.

  
"You should go check on Isabelle." Came Happy's rough voice. Opie looked down at his patch brother who waited a beat before he looked up at the younger but taller man. "You should go." He said a little more sternly. Opie nodded and picked up his beed moving through the throngs of bodies to the hallway. He checked the crowd a final time to make sure no eyes, especially one pair in particular, were watching him and he slipped from the party. He made his way to the prospects' dorm and went inside.

  
"Hey." Izzy greet him as he turned from the door to see her standing in the middle of the room. Opie set his beer on the dresser as he went to her.

  
"Hey, baby." He said smoothly as he rest his hands on her hips and towered over her. Izzy exaggerated craning her neck to look up at him and ran her hands under his kutte and up his torso. "What's wrong?" He asked gently.

  
"Hmm? Nothin'. Why?" Opie shrugged.

  
"Saw you come back here and Happy said I should check on you. So, what's wrong and does Hap know about us?" Izzy matched his questioning look.

  
"I mean, I have a little headache, but it's nothing serious. An' I don't think he knows about us." She answered as truthfully as she dared.

  
"Okay. As long as you say you're fine." Opie wasn't totally convinced but Izzy wasn't showing any other signs of something being wrong aside from the twitch her left eye does when she gets a nagging headache.

  
"Congratulations on getting patched." She spoke a few moments later when she thankfully realized he wouldn't press her.

  
"Thanks. Still doesn't feel real." He muttered in that lazy way he did when he was real relaxed. He let her guide him back until his knees hit the edge of one of the beds and he sat down. Izzy pushed his kutte off his shoulders and took it in her hands as his hands went to roaming her thighs, hips, and butt.

  
"You've only been in for a few hours. Give it time." She ran her hand over the space where his prospect flash used to be. "That and once I sew your new patches on. Then it'll be real." She dropped the kutte onto the footlocker and focused back on her man. Opie squeezed roughly at her ass cheeks and pulled her closer, making her lean into him and her breasts press towards his face. Izzy put one hand on his shoulder and pushed his beanie off his head to run her fingers through his hair.

  
"Gotta get my SAMCRO tat tomorrow." Opie mumbled as he nuzzled his face between her breasts, his goatee tickling and sending goosebumps rippling across her skin.

  
"Happy doing it?" Izzy sighed as she felt the heat start to pool between her legs.

  
"Yeah," Opie answered as he moved from between her breasts and took the hem of her tank top. Izzy helped him pull it over her head and he tossed it aside before he placed a few light kisses over the peaks of her breasts above her bra. "Jax and Auggie wanna do full back pieces like the kutte. Want me to do it, too." He nipped softly at the plump flesh earning soft gasps for his efforts.

  
"Do it if you want to, not because they want you to." Izzy whispered, trying to focus on their conversation as Opie focused on her body. He popped the button on her jeans open and kissed down her front, stopping just above the denim and playfully licked her smooth skin along the rim of her jeans. "Damn." She moaned quietly, loving his attentive foreplay.

  
"It's a good idea. Certainly a statement." He chuckled as he tugged her jeans down a bit to better expose her hips so he could more easily leave a love bite there. After soothing the reddening skin with his tongue, Opie leaned back some and looked up into Izzy's hazel eyes, noting the green was more prominent when she was worked up. "I want you to get my crow." He spoke softly, gauging her reaction.

  
"Opie." She sighed, biting her lip. "I can't. Hap already said he's not inking me until I'm nineteen no matter what it is. And my dad-"

  
"Iz," Opie interrupted. "We've been together seven months! I'm finally a Patch. I want to be with you and only you. Chibs can't stop you from inking whatever you want. It's your body, not his. And it doesn't have to be Happy to do it."

  
"Babe, I know that. But, Dad... hell, the club doesn't know about us. Even if I could get someone to tattoo me right now, I can't just be walking around with your crow suddenly on me. Too many questions, too much risk. When I get it done, I want Dad to have already accepted us. I know he loves you and it's not like he's ever said he didn't want me dating a member point blank, but sometimes he makes these remarks and stuff that makes me think otherwise. Plus, he's Dad and a little over protective sometimes."

  
"A little?" Opie scoffed. "Remember when he and Pops picked us up from that wrestling show we went to like two years ago? That drunk that tripped on a crack in the sidewalk and fell into you? Chibs jumped off his bike and knocked the guy out cold in one swing."

  
"To be fair, the guy did grab my very underage tits." Izzy joked. Opie chuckled, shaking his head.

  
"Maybe he did, maybe he didn't. Point is, Chibs is more than a little over protective of you."

  
"All the more reason to hold off on announcing us a little longer, yeah?" She caressed his cheek softly. "Let everyone get used to you three in the patch before we make them get used to us."

  
"You're right. I hate it, but you're right." Opie sighed, placing his hand over hers on his cheek as he looked down.

  
"Hey," She cupped his face and tilt his head up to look at her. "I'm with you. Okay? I want to be with you, Harry. That's why we need to hold off on public displays and crows. Be smart about this. It'll work out."

  
"I hear ya." He said quietly getting a warm smile from her. "Probably for the best. Chibs scares the fuck outta me sometimes." He grinned when Izzy threw her head back and laughed loudly. She looked back down at him. "I love you, Isabelle Telford."

  
"I love you, too, Harry Winston."

  
The couple made quick work of resuming their celebration, stripping clothes off and climbing into bed. Just as they were in the beginnings of passion, the door burst open and a somewhat drunk Jackson stumbled in with the blonde from earlier. He stopped and stared at the pair in the bed as Opie looked over his shoulder and Izzy peeked around one of Opie's arms as he support his weight above her. The three stared for a long moment before bursting into laughter. Jax kicked the door shut and pulled his lady friend towards one of the other beds in the room, throwing her on it before pouncing on top. He was halfway out of his jeans when the door swung open again.

  
"Fuck sake, lock the damn door!" Izzy growled as Auggie made his way in followed by his blonde companion. Jax and Opie started uproariously laughing again as she chuckled, exasperated. August apologized and shut the door, making a grand performance of locking it. He went to the last bed and flopped down on it, letting the woman he was with do the work of removing his clothes. Izzy let out a huff of air before turning her attention back to her boyfriend. "Add 'get your own dorm room' to the list of benefits you get as a full Patch.". Opie simply nod once before roughly kissing her and burying himself deep inside, letting her moans drown out the other noisy people in the room.


	11. Telling Dad

"Shit! You said Dad wouldn't leave the clubhouse for hours!" Isabelle growled as she and Opie frantically redressed after hearing the sound of a motorcycle pulling into the driveway.

  
"He wasn't suppose to! He looked like he was ready to down a bottle of Jameson and get sucked off by a croweater." Opie tripped in his twisted up jeans and fell on the floor with a thunk.

  
"I didn't need that visual. Thanks." Izzy groaned, making a disgusted face. They heard the front door open followed by the loud calling of her name. Unable to find her bra, Izzy threw her shirt on and dove onto her bed. Heavy footsteps thud up the stairs as Chibs started talking loudly, reaching her bedroom door and opening it.

  
"Was tha' Opie's bike in the drive? Wha's he doin' here afta midnight?" He stopped in the doorway to her bedroom and took in the sight. Izzy was on her stomach, up on her elbows facing the foot of her bed and Opie was sunk into a beanbag pillow on the floor with his back against the bed. They were staring at the TV and playing Izzy's old GameCube. Izzy looked over at him.

  
"Is it really past midnight?" She feigned ignorance.

  
"Aye. Op, wha' are ya doin', brotha? Ya said yer goin' home." Chibs asked, pulling Opie's fake attention from the game.

  
"I was. Iz text me and challenged me to some Mario Kart. Couldn't resist." He grinned. "Guess we lost track of time."

  
"Aye, guess so." Chibs looked suspiciously at them and Izzy resisted biting her bottom lip nervously. "Well, I'm gonna crash. Don' be too loud an' be gone by one. Isabelle, ya got yer calculus test firs' thing. Ya ready?"

  
"Absotively-posilutely." She smiled, giving him a thumbs up. Chibs snickered, remembering the countless hours he spent when she was little watching Disney movies with her. Oliver & Company had been a favorite of hers.

  
"G'nite, then." He tapped the doorframe as he left the pair alone and went down the hall to his room. Chibs groaned as he removed his boots and tossed them aside. He changed into grey sweatpants and a black wifebeater before stretching out in bed, head against the headboard and grabbed the worn out book sitting on his bedside table. A first addition print of Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh, it was in complete tatters and he'd taped/glued it back together more than he can count over the years but it was one of his most valued possessions. Izzy had bought it for him for his birthday when she was about seven, her little mind really did think it was about trains.  
About a half hour later, Chibs set his book down and listened to the sounds of nothing in the house. He assumed Opie had left and Izzy had gone to bed. He shuffled downstairs to double check the doors were locked up and saw the porch light was still on. He peered through the small window cut out in the front door.

  
"That was a close one tonight." Opie grumped as he sat sideways on the edge of the seat on his Harley, his legs straight and stretched out in front of him. Izzy stood next to the bike and his shoulder, facing his legs with her arms hugging her middle against the late night chill.

  
"Yup." Izzy kicked at loose bits in the pavement driveway.

  
"I don't want to keep sneaking around, Iz." The biker complained, frowning behind his slowly growing beard. "It's been over a year. We need to tell Chibs. I want to finally be able to take you out."

  
"We go out." Isabelle protest. Opie chuckled humorlessly, shaking his head.

  
"I mean, like on real dates. Like dinner and a movie, doing stuff just the two of us and not covering it with bringing Jax and Auggie along, maybe gettin' dressed up a bit and going places we normally wouldn't." Opie gently pulled her arms away from her body and took her hands in his. "I want to be able to hold your hand, cuddle up on the couch, kiss, dance with you during parties at the clubhouse, show how much I love you without fear of who sees."

  
"You're such a romantic, Harry." Izzy cooed, smiling at him lovingly.

  
"Only for you, baby." He replied slyly, pulling her closer. Izzy pressed her palms to his chest as he wrapped his long arms around her torso and leaned in for a kiss. She purred softly against his lips, the sound like a mating call and Opie respond with a low growl and pulled her even tighter against him as he tilt his head for a better angle. Izzy slid her hands up and around his shoulders, her body no longer noticing the cool air around them as Opie's touch set her on fire. He slipped a hand down over her butt and hooked his hand around her thigh. In one fluid motion, never breaking their kiss, Opie pulled her leg over his and rotate, swinging one of his legs over his bike. The action pulled her with him until they both straddled his Harley, facing each other and Izzy's thighs on top of his. After a few more moments of making out, Opie pulled back, chuckling as Izzy leaned forward chasing his lips. "We tell him soon." He said softly, the deep timber of his voice making Izzy shiver.

  
"Sure." She sighed, still trying to resume kissing.

  
"When?"

  
"Soon." She nod, more focused on his lips than the sounds leaving them.

  
"When?" Opie said more firmly. Izzy groaned, resting her forehead against his chest.

  
"Thursday. He leaves that morning to meet the Irish up north so he won't have time to kill either of us before he goes. Maybe the time away will give him a chance to let it sink in."

  
"Good." Izzy tilt her head back up and pressed her lips to his again. Opie groaned when she scoot as close as she could and felt her hands slip under his shirt. "Babe." He mumbled against her lips. She ignored him, raking her nails lightly down his chest and toned abs. "Babe, you can't-"

  
"I can." Izzy shot back grabbing a fistful of his crotch. Smirking when he dropped his head on her shoulder.

  
"Evil. You're pure evil." He grumbled, snatching her hands away and holding her wrists.

  
"You like it." She teased, trying to free her wrists. Opie picked his head up and gave her some kind of half smirk/half scowl.

  
"Payback's gonna be a bitch." He promised. Izzy shivered at the thought.

  
"It wouldn't be any fun if payback was anything else." She whispered, leaning in and playfully nipping at his lips.

  
"Go to bed." Opie chuckled, releasing her wrists. He wrapped an arm around her waist and stood up, swinging her to one side of the bike. She squealed and giggled as her giant of a boyfriend set her down on her feet and sat back on his bike, flipping the kickstand up. "Sweet dreams." He said softly, kissing her one last time.

  
"Dream of me." She replied as she took a step back.

  
"Always." He smirked before letting his bike coast to the end of the driveway before turning it on and speeding off.

  
*****

Izzy stood in the doorway of her father's bedroom watching him throw things on his bed. He was rushing around his room, getting ready for his trip up to see his old friend and IRA contact, Cameron Hayes. Izzy didn't know the fine details of what the club did but she knew enough. Between Chibs, Auggie, Jax, and Opie she always had someone to turn to when she wanted to know what was going on. And they always told her enough to appease her without putting her at risk.

  
Izzy wrung her hands together nervously, waiting to either work up the nerve to gain her father's attention or for him to notice she was there. When Chibs began shoving stuff into his backpack without a care, she rolled her eyes and sighed loudly.

  
"Jesus Christ, Dad." She shook her head as she walked in and moved him out of the way. "Lemme do it. Go find your other sock." She jeered, pointing at his feet. Chibs looked down and realized he only had one sock on. He grumbled and disappeared into his closet while Izzy took everything out of his pack and reorganized it. She folded and rolled his spare t-shirts, underwear (which she cringed at, of course), and socks before making sure his little leather toiletry bag contained the essentials. She placed that on top and took his bag down to the kitchen.

  
When Chibs was finally completely dressed, he went downstairs and found Izzy tucking road snacks into his pack. Mostly various kinds of trail mix and a few apples and oranges. She looked up when she felt a presence nearby and saw him standing in the entrance with a smile on his face.

  
"Ye take such good care o' yer dear ol' Da, bug." He cooed as he went to the fridge for one of the cold coffee drinks his daughter got him hooked on. Their fridge looked ridiculous with a shelf full of them, a shelf full of beer, a gallon of milk, half a gallon of OJ and a dozen odd other items.

  
"Well, if I didn't, you'd gorge yourself on fast food and junk the entire trip." She teased as she zipped his backpack up. "Besides, it'll save you money and you love the homemade mixes I make."

  
"Aye, I do. They keep me from turnin' into a fat bastard." He took the bag from the table and slung it over his back.

  
"If you stopped eatin' all Uncle Bobby's muffins and breads, that'd help too." Izzy jeered as she followed him out the front door. "Oh, before you go, I gotta talk to you about something." Chibs paused as he was strapping his helmet on and turned to his daughter.

  
"Chris', I did'nae wanna have this chat now." He mumbled grumpily. Izzy cocked her head to the side.

  
"What?" Chibs waved it off like 'nevermind' and Izzy decided to just get it over with. "Dad... Opie and I are together." The two remained silent staring at each other for a while. When Izzy broke eye contact and started looking anywhere but at her father, Chibs sighed.

  
"Righ' then." He said to no one and turned, mounting his motorcycle.

  
"Wait, Dad, what are you doing?" Izzy asked as he start the bike and revved it a few times. "Dad!" He ignored her and took off out of the driveway. "Shit!" She panicked and jumped into her car- a dark granite Ford Shelby GT350R with red and black racing stripe on the hood that Chibs gifted her for her eighteenth birthday a few months earlier- and raced after him.

A handful of Sons were working in the garage or gathered around the bikes when they saw Chibs roaring onto the lot. He stopped his bike in the middle of the lot and hopped off. As he dropped his backpack and took his helemt off, Izzy came flying into the lot in her sports car. Chibs stomped towards the garage and Izzy barely got out of her car when everyone saw Chibs land a solid left cross to Opie's jaw. Everyone stood around in shock, unsure what to do while Opie was on the ground holding his chin and staring at the older Son. After a few tense moments, Chibs held his hand out to Opie who tenatively took it. As he stood up, he made a slight gesture to Izzy as she neared the garage telling her to stay back. Chibs gave Opie's face a cursory once over before roughly patting his uninjured cheek then pointing a finger at him. As he spoke, his Scottish accent was thicker than usual.

  
"Tha' was fer no' askin' permission or atleas' tellin' me... an' cuz I can' hit me own daugh'er." He explained. "This is yer only warnin', Ope. Ye treat her righ' or I cut yer dick off."

  
"Y-y-yeah. I got it. I love her, Chibs." Opie stuttered hands up in surrender.

  
"Good." Chibs nod once. "Then we go' no problems, broth'a." His tone lightened before he turned away. "Oh," he turned back to the giant Son. "An' I don' wanna see it so keep it PG in my presence, aye?" He winked at the stunned young man before going to walk away. He stopped in front of Izzy and smiled down at her.

  
"You scared the shit outta me!" She gasped, punching his arm. Chibs chuckled as he rubbed his shoulder. He pulled his daughter into a hug and whispered into her hair.

  
"So, ya love 'im, then?" He felt her nodding, her face buried in his chest. "Okay." He cradled her head and pulled her away some so he could look into her eyes. "He does anythin' ta piss ye off-" He started, getting cut off.

  
"I know, Dad." Izzy smiled. "Thank you." Chibs grinned and kissed her forehead.

  
"Ye'll always be my li'l love bug. Bu' yer an adult now. I only have so much say in matters of yer hear'. Tha gaol agam ort, mo chridhe." He spoke softly. Izzy felt her eyes water.

  
"I love you, too, Dad. Don't worry, you'll always be number one." They hugged once more before he gently pushed her towards Opie and went to his bike. He said goodbye to the others and left for his trip north. Izzy watched him leave before turning around to Opie and launching herself at him. He caught her easily around her middle as she clung to his neck and kicked her legs back. Opie felt weightless as he pressed his lips to hers and kissed her passionately infront of the club for the first time.


	12. Almost Again

"Shit, shit, shit." Izzy repeated as she dashed through her house. She could hear his heavy footfalls gaining rapidly as she scrambled up the stairs and raced to her room. It was no use. He was taller and faster. Before she could think where to hide, she was tackled onto her bed. "No, no, no, don't!" She squealed with laughter as Opie straddled her legs, caught her wrists in one of his large hands and smeared brownie batter down her cheek and neck.

  
"Yeah, it's not fun, is it?" He jeered, a bright smile shining through the batter covering his own face. He leaned down and licked a streak across her cheek eating up some chocolate.

  
"Ew, you suck!" Izzy whined, giggling when he moved to lick and nip at her batter-covered neck. Her giggles turned into soft moans as Opie pressed the growing bulge in his jeans against her cotton leggings-covered core. He let go of her wrists so she could wrap her arms around his shoulders and press her fingers into his strong back beneath his black v-neck. "Harry." Izzy whispered feeling him shiver. "Go wash your face." She teased, saying it in the low sensual tone he usually liked. Opie groaned against her skin, a bit frustrated she ruined the mood but got up off the bed anyway. He pulled Izzy up with him and together they cleaned off the brownie mix. As they went back downstairs, Opie swat her ass hard making her jump in surprise. She glared over her shoulder at him as he gave her a cheeky grin. Before she could offer a retort, his prepaid started ringing.

  
"Damnit." The tallest Son muttered as he went to his kutte left in a recliner in the living room. Izzy began cleaning up the mess they'd made in the kitchen. What had started as a cute little couple's activity of making brownies turned into a slightly immature couple's activity of Izzy spreading batter on Opie's face when he wasn't paying attention and him chasing her through the house to exact revenge. As she finished wiping down the last of the counter space, Opie came into the kitchen with his kutte on and snapping his phone shut. "I gotta go." He grumbled.

  
"What?" Izzy huffed. "I thought you had the day off. We were supposed to spend the day together." She pout, sagging back against the counter.

  
"I know, baby. I'm sorry. It's club shit." Opie sighed stepping in front of his dejected girlfriend. He leaned down, wrapping his arms around her waist and picked her up. Izzy tried to play dead weight but ended up wrapping her arms around his neck.

  
"I expect you to make it up to me later." She mumbled against his chest. Opie's deep chuckle rumbled in his chest as he set her back down and kissed her head.

  
"Promise. As soon as I handle this, I'll be back. And I will shower you with love and affection." He smiled, a loving twinkle in his eyes. Izzy couldn't help blush and bite her bottom lip.

  
"Okay." She sighed, leaning up to kiss him briefly. Opie cradled her head in his large hands and deepened the kiss, not wanting to leave. When his phone started ringing again, he growled into her mouth and pulled back. "Go." Izzy whispered, patting his hip. "Text me when you're on your way back."

  
"Okay." Opie kissed her once more quickly before he detached from her and grabbed his keys from the counter. "Love you, Telford." He told her as he opened the front door.

  
"Love you, too, Winston." She giggled as she reached the door and watched him leave.

*****

Izzy laid on the couch with her legs over the armrest as she tossed a rubber ball in the air, bored. Nothing was on television that piqued her interest, reading sounded meh, she wasn't sleepy or hungry. She'd spent the last hour and a half bumbling around trying to occupy her time until Opie returned. She'd text her dad but after the fourth one word reply, she figured he was getting drunk with Cammy at a bar. As she tossed the ball directly up once more, there was a knock at the front door. She startled, missing the ball and it smacked her right on the eye.

  
"Ow! Fuck!" She groaned, holding her face as she rolled off the couch. Whoever was there knocked harder. "Alright! I heard you the first time!" Izzy growled as she blinked and checked her vision. The person on her front porch started banging on the door a third time when she finally reached it and ripped it open. "Fucking hell! Calm your ass d-" She clenched her jaw shut, staring.

  
"Ya gonna invite me in?" Clay asked before brushing past her and entering the house anyway. Izzy watched him with nervous anger.

  
"Uh, no. I hadn't intended to. What do you want, Clay?" She watched him stand in the middle of her living room, his hands on his hips as he surveyed his surroundings.

  
"Thought it was time you and I had a talk." He said casually, not looking directly at the young woman.

  
"Pretty sure we have nothing to discuss." Izzy shrugged as she stepped out of the foyer and gripped the back of the brown suede recliner she stood behind. "You don't like me, I don't like you. Seems kinda cut and dry." Clay looked like she wounded him.

  
"Now, Isabelle, I'm hurt you think I don't like you." The way he said her name made her skin crawl. "I do like ya. A lot. It's just your attitude needs adjusting."

  
"It's the only one I got so you're shit outta luck there." Izzy sassed. She watched as he moved around the room, seemingly casual yet it was clear he was moving with purpose. Izzy suddenly felt like a gazelle being stalked by a lion. She didn't want to fall into whatever trap he was laying out but with every step he took towards her, she took two away from him. She realized too late he'd positioned himself between her and the only way out of the living room.

  
"Chibs really should've spanked you more as a child." Clay huffed. "You need to learn your place here. You've been allowed to do what you want for too long. And if Chibs isn't gonna put your ass in line, I guess I'll have to." The look on his face turned more sinister and Izzy tried not to show the fear in her eyes.

*****

Jax and Opie rode side by side coming back from doing all the dumb shit Clay had told them to do. They were a bit salty to say the least. It was all bitch work, menial shit that could've been done another day or even by someone else. But no. Clay had insisted the two of them run the errands instead of having their day off like they were supposed to. As they pulled into the Teller-Morrow lot, they were almost run over by August and Happy barely missing them as they went flying outta there. Jax and Opie parked in their spots and went to the garage where they saw Tig.

  
"Hey, where are those two headed in such a hurry?" Opie asked the SAA, gesturing with his thumb over his shoulder. Tig shrugged.

  
"Dunno. They came boltin' outta the clubhouse and took off without a word."

  
"Where's Clay? We finished all the shit he wanted us to do." Jax said, changing the subject.

  
"He left about five minutes after you, broth'a." Tig said, indicating Jax.

  
"Weird. He said to report back to him here when we were done. Said he'd be here all day." Jax said, eyebrows knitted in confusion. Tig shrugged again.

  
"He probably figured you two numbskulls would take longer than you did." He teased as he tossed his wrench onto his work station.

  
"Are we good for the day, then?" Opie asked a little impatient. "I got a hot and probably pissed off girlfriend to get back to." Jax and Tig snickered.

  
"Probably true." Tig agreed before making a shooing motion. "Get outta here, Op. Jax, will you give me a hand with this shit bucket?" He points to the Buick.

  
"Sure, my balls aren't in anyone's purse. I can be where I want." He joked, grinning that sassy Teller grin of his at Opie.

  
"Shut up." Opie groaned, rolling his eyes as he turned and went back to his bike. As he went to leave, he turned left instead of right out of TM, deciding to pick up a few things downtown first in the hopes of lessening his girlfriend's anger.

*****

Joey sat on the couch in the Telford's living room watching August pace back and forth on the other side of the coffee table while on a call with Happy. Izzy sat beside her with a hand towel wrapped ice pack against the gash on her bottom lip. Joey was still trying to process the scene she'd walked in on after Auggie had called telling her to come to Izzy's.

  
_Joey's car screeched to a halt along the curb in front of her best friend's house and she'd barely had it in park before she was jumping out and racing across the front lawn into the house. As soon as she made it in she skid to a stop just before the living room with wide eyes._

  
_"What the fuck happened?" She gasped and hurried in._

  
_Izzy sat on the couch with Auggie crouched in front of her tending to a gash above her left eye. Joey sat beside her best friend, brushing some hair back from her face, trying to fix the mangled mess of ponytail. Izzy closed her eyes as August applied an alcohol soaked gauze pad to her wound. Auggie apologized softly before looking to Joey._

  
_"Clay attacked her."_

  
_"WHAT?!" The fiery redhead screeched causing the other two to flinch._

  
_"Headache." Izzy groaned._

  
_"Sorry." Joey took a deep breath. "What do you mean Clay attacked her? Where the fuck is Opie?" August looked up at Izzy, indicating she should answer. Izzy sighed._

  
_"Op got a call saying he needed to do some club stuff, didn't say what. Not long after he left, Clay showed up."_

  
_"That motherfucker." Joey grumbled. She'd known for a while now that he was a creep. In a drunken confession, Izzy had told her best friend about how he'd been pressuring her to become a croweater. How, even after revealing her and Opie's relationship, he was still pushing it because she wasn't an 'old lady' yet. The redhead had been suspicious of Clay ever since. There was only one reason he'd be pushing Isabelle to be a croweater and it certainly wasn't for Opie's or her sake. "Hon, did he...?" She caught Auggie's jaw clenching and held her breath, dreading the answer. After a long moment, Izzy shook her head._

  
_"No. He tried to. I fought him off and managed to lock myself in the hall closet. Called Happy."_

  
_"Happy?"_

  
_"He, uh, he has been suspicious of Clay since the boys were patched. When I'd asked him why his sudden over-protectiveness recently, he told me the night of the party, he saw Clay dose my drink." Joey gasped._

  
_"Iz, what the fuck." She breathed out._

  
_"Don't worry, I never got a sip of the spiked drink. Happy had bumped me and I spilled it everywhere. But, ever since, he's been trying to watch out for me."_

  
_"Honey, why didn't you tell Opie? Or your dad?" Izzy shook her head violently then clutched it._

  
_"No," she groaned. "No, I can't do that. It's bad enough Happy and now Auggie knows. No one else needs to know. It'll complicate shit with the club."_

  
_"Fuck the club." Auggie growled. "And fuck Clay. They need to know what he's doing so we can handle him."_

  
_"No, bro." Izzy put her hand against his cheek. It felt like ice since she'd been holding the pack for so long but Auggie leaned into it anyway. "Promise me you won't say anything. Happy promised. Why can't you?" He covered her hand with his._

  
_"Because he's not your brother. I'm the one that's supposed to protect you." He replied softly._

  
_"We're not little kids anymore, Aug." Izzy smiled lightly. "You can't spend your whole life being my guardian angel. Clay will get his in time. But not now. Promise." Auggie sighed but when he looked up into his little sister's eyes, he knew he couldn't refuse._

  
_"Promise." He nodded and turned his head to kiss her palm. She looked to her best friend. Joey sighed._

  
_"Okay, fine, whatever." She huffed. "So where is Happy? And that no-good bastard?"_

  
_"I was with Hap when he got her call." Auggie explained as he stood up and gathered the medical garbage. "When we got here, Clay was gone. Once we were sure he wasn't lurking, Happy went back to the clubhouse. He thinks Clay went back there. He said he's gonna talk to Clay. We'll see."_

  
After Auggie hung up with Happy, he explained to the girls that Happy threatened to out Clay to the club if he didn't back off Izzy. He hoped that'd be enough. He wanted to stay but Izzy made him leave, promising she was fine. She didn't want him to miss the date he had that night. Joey hung around for a bit longer.

  
Opie arrived at Izzy's house as dusk settled over the town. He wasn't surprised to see Joey's car out front, figuring Izzy had invited her bestie over to help pass the time. He just hoped the southern girl knew well enough to hightail it now that he had returned. He loved the Texas-native like a little sister but he had no intentions of sharing Izzy the rest of the day. He gathered up his recently bought apology and strode up to the front porch.

  
As soon as Izzy heard the rumbling engine of Opie's motorcycle, she panicked. Joey sent her to the bathroom to wash her face and fix her hair as she went to open the door for her tall friend. She helped Opie bring his stuff in and set it in the kitchen, preparing to leave.

  
"So, just be aware, she's a bit banged up." Joey told him uncomfortably.

  
"What happened?" He asked, turning his head to look down the hallway where he assumed his girlfriend was.

  
"Oh, nothing serious." Joey lied. "We were goofing around and I accidentally tripped her. She caught the edge of the coffee table. She's okay, but there's a cut. Just ignore it. She's embarrassed." She rushed out hoping the story was believable.

  
"O-okay." Opie nodded, not quite sure why he felt off about Joey's tale. "Well, this should make her feel better." He gestured to the food and gifts spread out on the kitchen table. Joey agreed, bid him goodnight, and left. As Opie busied himself with gathering plates and utensils, Izzy exited the bathroom and slowly walked to the kitchen where she could hear him opening and closing cabinets and drawers.

  
"Hey, Op." She greet quietly. He spun around and grinned then frowned seeing the cuts but quickly smiled again as he moved across the small kitchen to hug his girlfriend.

  
"Hey, baby." He set his hands on her hips as he leaned down and kissed her softly. "I brought dinner." He told her as he put his arm around her shoulders and walked her to the kitchen table. Izzy took in the sight.

  
"Did yo- did you go to every restaurant in town?" She asked, noting the different labels and various style takeout boxes. She looked up at her boyfriend in awe. Opie blushed and shrugged.

  
"I feel bad I had to do club shit. We were supposed to spend the whole day together. I wanted to make it up to you. Got all your favorites." He mumbled gruffly. Izzy felt her eyes watering and turned to be in front of him. She wrapped her arms around his midsection and buried her face into his black t-shirt, silently unable to stop the tears from falling. Opie returned her embrace with a light chuckle assuming her waterworks were solely for his efforts. Izzy let him believe it.

  
The young couple spent the rest of their evening cuddled up on the couch watching a Law & Order: Special Victims Unit marathon and overeating. Chibs would be home tomorrow and she didn't want to think about having to lie to her father, too. While Opie continuously ran his fingers through her hair, Izzy nuzzled her face against his chest and tried to ignore the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that it was only a matter of time before either everyone found out what Clay had done or Clay did something worse.


	13. Tattoos, A Birthday, And Caveman Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Made some story covers/pictures. I'll share them periodically through out the story now.

Opie pushed through the crowd, trying to get to the pool table. Another SAMCRO Friday night party, another night resisting the urge to punch anyone in the face whom so much as glances at his girlfriend. Of course, she was making it hard not to punch fellow patches when she and Joey took to dancing on the pool table in a provocative manner. The giant Son heaved aside a hang-around wannabe hoping-to-prospect pimply-looking motherfucker just as the guy was trying to reach up and cop a feel of Isabelle's ass. When he turned around to protest, he came face to chest to Opie and looked up. He paled seeing the biker's glare and raced for the exit. Opie looked up at his woman and crossed his arms over his chest as she twirled Joey and shook her hips in time with the music's beat.

  
Joey tilt her head back and cackled as her best friend took her hands and pulled her closer. Wolf-whistles and catcalls were barely heard above the bass to the dance mix of some old pop song. She knew what Izzy was doing. Opie had been immersed in club business all day and that wasn't gonna fly with the young woman. It was her birthday after all, she should've been spending it with all the people she loved. But she'd only spent breakfast with her father and the rest of the day with Joey. Not that the girls hadn't had fun shopping, going to the spa, and getting new tattoos, but they had expected to find Opie waiting when they returned to Izzy's. Instead, he had left her a generic birthday card in the mailbox and said he'd see her at the party.

  
_"Well, fuck you, too." Izzy huffed after reading the card. She and Joey went up to her room and began the long process of finding the perfect outfits for the party._

  
_The pair of now twenty year old young women rifled around their new purchases as well as Izzy's closet in search of the right clothes. They were both in just their undergarments- cotton boyshorts and matching bra in pale green for Joey while Izzy had gone a little more risque in a matching lacy royal purple thong and bra- tossing shirts at each other and scouring jeans and skirt options. Izzy smacked Joey as she caught her almost scratching at her new tattoo._

  
_"Knock it off!" She reprimanded teasingly._

  
_"I can't help it! It itches like a motherfucker!" The redhead whined. "How can you stand it?" Izzy handed her the cream Happy had given her when he did her first tattoo- on her right side/ribcage area Happy had done a brilliant side profile of a white unicorn head, a wreath of purple Thistle around it's neck with the Scottish national flag and faded anarchy A (identical to the one on Chibs's arm) in the background._

  
_"This will help. Hap swears by it." She told her best friend who sat at the foot of Izzy's bed._

  
_"Is he gonna be pissed at you that you went to someone else for this tat?" Joey asked concerned._

  
_"Nah. The only one he'd be pissed about is if I didn't have him do Opie's crow. Whenever that happens." She took the cream back and dabbed some on her fresh ink. They'd gone to a convention last week and met a pretty big name tattoo artist. He was sticking around the area for a while and they had decided to book with him at the local shop. Joey stood up from the bed and went to be beside Izzy in front of her full length mirror. Joey held her right arm out while Izzy held her left, forearms up._

  
_The tattoos depicted half of an animal's face and half a dotted outline of another. Izzy had a Timberwolf and Joey had a Leopard. Their dotted outline faces were the other half of each other's animal. Izzy's wolf was the right half of her tattoo while Joey's leopard was the left of hers making the two halves appear to be one face if they were to overlay the tattoos._

  
_"I still can't believe I got a tattoo." Joey spoke, still stunned that she went through with it._

  
_"Trust me, you got one... you'll want more." Izzy promised, turning in the mirror to get a look at each of the tattoos she acquired over the last two years. Besides her ribcage one dedicated to her dad, she had an anklet of Magic: The Gathering mana symbols on her left ankle, her right leg from thigh to foot was gradually being covered by various animals and nature, a Celtic cross on the back of her neck, and a protection sigil made up of a numerical date and the letters of "Telford" on her left breast- almost matching with Auggie's, it was the date they were given their new birth certificates and their new last name._

  
Joey ended up in a very punk rock outfit- knee-high combat boots, red plaid mini-skirt, black cut-off crop top band t-shirt. Izzy had squeezed herself into her tightest fitting low rise black jeans, black slip-on Vans, black SAMCRO tank top, and a long lightweight sleeveless purple cardigan sweater she'd ditched hours ago. They both let their hair flow wild and free- especially Joey's curly mane- and used minimal makeup (it was always stifling hot in the clubhouse during parties and makeup just sweat away anyway).

  
Opie raised his eyebrow, catching Joey's attention. His friend rolled her eyes. He knew she knew why Izzy was actively ignoring him and he knew she wasn't going to explain it to him or make Izzy say anything either. He sighed and tapped his girlfriend's calf to gain her attention.

  
"Can we talk?" He shout trying not to sound annoyed. Izzy glanced down at him before looking back to her best friend.

  
"Not right now." She told him.

  
"Izzy!" He called. "Isabelle, please!" He almost begged, his shoulders slumping. Joey gave her bestie a look that said 'cut him some slack' and the pair stopped dancing. Izzy threw her head back and sighed, her way of saying 'fine'. But before she could turn back to her boyfriend, two patches from sister charters started brawling and bumped into the pool table hard, jarring the women. While Joey was able to crouch down and catch herself, Izzy lost her balance and found herself falling backwards and away from the safety of Opie who she knew would catch her easily. She braced for the painful impact of the floor only to find herself cradled in someone's arms. She looked up into a pair of blue-grey eyes in shock.

  
"A'righ', lass?" The young man asked with a thick Irish accent. Izzy took in his short brown hair and two day old stubble. He was cute, she had to give him that.

  
"Yup." She answered awkwardly, waiting for him to do something. "Can you put me down now?" She asked, snapping the man out of the daze he suddenly seemed to be in.

  
"Oh, sorry." He blushed, setting her legs down. "There ya are." He tucked his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels.

  
"Izzy." She introduced herself over the music, holding a hand out. The Irishman pulled one hand back out and took her hand in his. She noted his skin was softer than she'd expected. Unlike Opie's rough and calloused hands which were evidence of a labor-intensive lifestyle and occupation, this man's were less worn and felt smooth.

  
"Eddie." He replied, shaking her hand with a slow grin. Izzy wasn't sure if he was expecting her to fall to his Irish charms or not as before she could really react, Eddie was dropping her hand and looking terrified. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know why the sudden change in demeanor. A large arm draped across her shoulders and pulled her possessively against someone's side. She glanced up at Opie, biting her lip to fight off the smirk that threatened as he glared down at the newcomer.

  
"Who are you?" Opie asked harshly. Izzy rolled her eyes at the obvious show of making himself even bigger than he was as Opie puffed out his chest and stood a bit straighter. Before Eddie could answer, someone was shouting his name and then appeared behind him alongside Chibs.

  
"Edmond, my boy!" The man drunkenly proclaimed. Chibs laughed and spotted Izzy.

  
"Loveboog!" He slurred, stumbling forward and pulling his daughter into a haphazard embrace making Opie drop his arm.

  
"Hey, Dad!" Izzy laughed as she balanced the pair before her father toppled them over.

  
"Ishabelle, I wan' ye ta meet Cammy!" He shout, turning and pointing at his drinking buddy. "Cammy! This is me secon' daugh'er, Ishy!"

  
"Ah! Izabel!" Cammy slurred. "Cameron Hayes! Ol' frien' o' yer Da's!" Izzy nodded in understanding. "This is ma boy, Edmond!" He slapped the younger man on the back making Eddie stumble forward.

  
"An' this lumb'ajack-lookin' moth'afekker is Opie, 'er ol' man!" Chibs howled with laughter, amused with himself. Izzy sighed, rolling her eyes at her father in his inebriated state.

  
After a few more minutes of attempting to hold a conversation with the two drunk fathers, Izzy gave up and stood there watching them and their antics. She could feel Edmond Hayes stealing glances at her repeatedly and crossed her arms over her chest in annoyance. Opie sensed Izzy's discomfort and, with one final steely glare at the young Irishman, wrapped his arm around her waist and led her away from the three now speaking in another language. Gaelic, Izzy assumed.

  
Izzy allowed Opie to guide her down to the dorm rooms and into the one he used frequently. As he turned to close the door behind them, Izzy moved away from him and stood in the middle of the room. When Opie faced her again, he stopped short momentarily seeing her standing there with her hands on her hips and a knowing glint in her eyes.

  
"I don't trust that kid." Opie huffed as he shrugged his kutte off and tossed it on the dresser.

  
"You don't even know him." Izzy sighed, rolling her eyes. "And he can't be any younger than me."

  
"Doesn't matter." Opie shook his head as he meticulously removed all his rings and bracelets, setting them in a bowl beside his kutte. Izzy watched him closely, knowing what he was doing. "He wouldn't stop staring at your breasts. He's a slimeball."

  
"He wasn't staring at my boobs, Ope." Izzy groaned, already exasperated at his caveman attitude. "It's not like you were giving them any attention anyway." She additionally sassed. Opie dropping his wallet and chain on the floor as he'd been removing it as she spoke and gripped the edge of the dresser.

  
"Goddamnit, Isabelle." He mumbled lowly before pulling his beanie off and tossing it across the room as he turned around. "You were the one ignoring me tonight, babe." He accused, pointing a finger at her.

  
"Only because you ignored me all day!" Izzy snapped back. "On my birthday no less!"

  
"Now, hold on! I told you I had club stuff to do. You know I can't blow off my responsibilities. I figured I would make it up to you tonight but then you hadn't said two words to me since you got here. And then you started flirting with that leprechaun!"

  
"Whoa! Hey, I was not flirting with him! I fell. He caught me. That's it."

  
"I know what I saw. And you need to remember you're mine!" Opie snarled as he towered over Izzy.

  
"Excuse you?" Izzy gasped, eyebrows raising.

  
"You heard me." Opie replied lowly, pushing his body into hers and backing her into the nearest wall. "And it's about time we put my crow on you so all these stupid fucks know to quit tryin' to rub up on you." The deep sensual gravel in his voice and the way he traced a finger down Izzy's sternum and over the curve of her breast made Izzy swallow a lump in her throat and tremble.

  
"Fuckin' ca-caveman." Izzy stuttered, still trying to sound strong and angry but failing. Opie smirked as he leaned down and kissed her ear softly, whispering.

  
"You love it."

  
"Fuck you." She spat defiantly.

  
"Good idea." Opie retort before harshly pressing his lips to hers. Izzy immediately purred, wrapping her arms around his neck. Opie gripped his hands under her butt and lift her up. Izzy wrapped her legs around his waist as he pressed her back to the wall. After a few moments of heated making out, Izzy pushed against Opie's chest and broke the kiss. He pant, staring down at her with hooded eyes as she glared up at him.

  
"You can't just fuck me into not being mad at you." She claimed breathlessly.

  
"Watch me." Opie bet smashing his lips back to hers and turning, walking to the bed. He fell forward, trapping her between his body and the mattress. He moved down to bite and suck at her neck as he kicked his boots off then easily worked her shoes off as well.

  
"Asshole." Izzy gasped when he bit particularly hard along her collarbone. Opie sat back on his knees and quickly stripped his shirt off. He smirked as he watched Izzy's eyes glide along his muscled, tattooed chest. She was too distracted by her favorite sight to see the gears turning in his mind as she reached out to touch him. Before she could protest, Opie yanked her up. He pulled her tanktop over her head and down her arms then quickly tied and trapped her wrists together with it. "Oh, you slick bastard." Izzy complained, breathing quickly in anticipation. Opie let out a dark chuckle.

  
"You fall for it every time, babe."

  
"Just shut up and fuck me." Izzy demanded, tugging on his belt buckle. Opie grabbed the knotted tanktop and pressed her arms back into the bed above her head.

  
"Don't move them." He warned before making quick work of her jeans. To add insult to injury, so to speak, he violently tore her thong apart to remove it.

  
"What the hell?! I liked those!" Izzy shout but she was ignored as Opie stood from the bed and removed his jeans, boxers, and socks. Her ruined panties were easily forgotten as Izzy stared excitedly at Opie. It was always a pleasure to see how ready he was whenever they were together. It took little effort on her part to get his cock hard. She licked her suddenly dry lips as she watched him lazily stroke his long, thick member. She whimpered as she fought the urge to move her arms thanks to the warning look he shot her when he saw her biceps twitch. "Fuck." She whispered and watched him climb back onto the bed and position himself between her legs.

  
"Still mad at me?" Opie teased as he used his leaking pre-cum to lubricate his steel hard length. Izzy nodded. "Why?" He asked.

  
"Because." She whined softly.

  
"Tell me." He demanded as he leaned forward and slipped the head of his cock between her folds teasingly.

  
"I want it." Izzy grumbled.

  
"What was that?"

  
"Harry Winston, stop fuckin' teasing me. You know damn well what I said. Now, are you going to fuck me or should I go out there and find that Eddie gu- YES!" Opie surged his hips forward and plunged himself into Izzy's wet core before she could finish her threat. She clutched at the bedsheets above her head.

  
"You were saying?" Opie felt his body tremble as she clenched around him. Neither said anything or moved for a long second and then Opie was pulleing back slowly only to plow into her roughly again. He quickly built up a rhythm that had the headboard smacking into the wall at a steady pace and Izzy moaning and swearing beneath him.

  
"Opie. Hands." Izzy gasped out between moans. Opie used one hand and undid the knotted tanktop. Izzy freed her hands and instantly wrapped them around his broad shoulders, hugging him closer.

  
"You feel so good." Opie whispered as he pressed his lips to that sweet spot just below her ear.

  
"Gods, Opie, right there, fuck!" She cried out as he slammed into her harder.

  
"Yeah? Ya like that? Like me fucking you into the mattress?" He growled. Izzy's response was to moan his name louder. "Ya gonna cum? Huh? Cum for me, Isabelle." Izzy clamped down on him and screamed as she came hard, mind spinning. Opie kissed her forehead as he stilled, his own release hitting him as well. He eased his softening member out of her gently, letting her catch her breath and come down from her euphoria. Izzy looked blissed out as she smiled up at him crookedly. "Still mad at me?" Opie needled softly.

  
"Mm-mm." Izzy squeaked, turning her head back and forth. She reached for his beard and grabbed a firm fistful, pulling his face down to hers in a slow, deliberate kiss.

  
"Do you want your presents now?" He mumbled against her lips. Izzy gasped and pushed Opie up away from her.

  
"Presents?" She asked with childish glee. Opie snickered as he slid off the bed and moved to the desk across the room. Izzy leaned over the edge of the bed and grabbed her balled up tank top, unraveling it and pulling it back on. "You owe me new panties." She scolded playfully as she realized she didn't have any to put back on. Opie laughed as he returned and sat on the edge of the bed, handing Izzy a black sparkly gift bag. Izzy smiled warmly and gripped his beard again to pull him in for another kiss.

  
"I am sorry I was with the club all day. You know I'd rather have been with you." Opie grumbled. Izzy stroked his cheek.

  
"I know, baby." She sighed. "Sorry I've been a bitch since I got here." Opie smiled and took her hand from his cheek, kissing her palm before he gestured for her to open her gifts. Izzy reached in and pulled out a long black box. She eyed her boyfriend suspiciously as she opened the lid. "Oh, Harry." She gasped.

  
Inside was a woven leather bracelet with a stainless steel Raven in the middle.

  
"You like it?" Opie asked nervously. Izzy took it out of the box.

  
"Hell yeah. I love it. This is so cool!" She exclaimed before holding it out to him. Opie took the hint, taking the bracelet and clasping it around her right wrist. It fit perfectly. "Where did you find this?" She asked as she inspected it closely.

  
"I, uh, I had it made." He admitted softly. Izzy looked up at him with wide eyes. "So, I found a much better one at the jewelry place downtown but it was way out of my price range. One of the guys in SAMTAZ does metalwork as a hobby, his wife weaves jewelry. Paid them to make this one. I know it's not fancy diamonds and gold and stuf-"

  
"Ope, you know me better than that." She gestured to the Scottish flag necklace she never took off, sterling silver and enamel. "This is amazing. Thank you." Izzy shifted to her knees and hugged Opie, kissing his temple.

  
"Open the other thing." He gestured to the item in the bag. Izzy giggled and sat back down. She pulled out the gift wrapped in pink 'Happy Birthday' paper and tore it open. A large collector's book on Magic: The Gathering was inside.

  
"Oh, this is so neat!" Izzy flipped through a few of the pages, looking at the artwork and information. Opie watched as she marveled at what was on the pages before he cleared his throat. She looked up at him.

  
"There's one more thing but it's not exactly a present." He took a white folder Izzy hadn't even noticed from the gift bag and pulled a single sheet of paper from it. He held it out to her with a shaky hand. Izzy studied the artwork on the page. "We've been together a long time. And I haven't pushed the issue but," Opie gnawed his lip momentarily as he chose his words. "I want you to get my crow. I know you're with me and I don't want you to get it to show possession. Not that way, not the property kind of way. I want everyone to see that you're my old lady, my partner, my better half, that you chose me." Izzy looked up from the crow on the page and looked at Opie's hopeful face. She moved her eyes down to his left arm where a tattoo depicting her rather nude body in front of a bleeding heart and her name along the bottom was displayed proudly. He'd gotten it six months ago and it's been a bone of contention for her father who hates seeing a naked likeness of his daughter on his patch brother's arm.

  
"I suppose since you tattooed me on your arm, the least I can do is get your crow, huh?" Izzy teased quietly, running her fingers down Opie's tattoo. She looked into his eyes. "This is what you want me to get?" She held the picture up. The crow was done in dot work with it's wings as branches of a tree. Opie's name was beneath it's chest. It was a beautiful piece. Opie nodded, reaching out to glide his fingers softly over her right shoulder and chest area.

  
"Right here." He mumbled in that lazy content way he did. Izzy shuddered as goosebumps broke out almong her skin. She moved and knelt on the bed beside him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

  
"Sounds like a plan." She agreed quietly, nuzzling her face into his bearded cheek. Opie wrapped his arms around her midsection and pulled her body closer. He kissed her slowly yet passionately as he moved to lay them down.

  
The party raged on in the clubhouse and no one seemed to notice where the young couple had wandered off except for Edmond Hayes. He'd been frequently looking towards the back hallway ever since the pretty brunette was led there by her mountainous boyfriend. He hoped his father was too drunk to remember tonight come morning time so he wouldn't have to listen to him. The older man knew his son well enough to know when a woman caught his eye. They both also knew this was uncharted territory. He'd never fallen for a business partner's daughter before. This could either go very well or very... very badly.


	14. The Car Bomb We All Hate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A necessary evil for my story but I'm not dwelling on it long.

August and Isabelle were sitting in the bed of Unser's truck next to his trailer. They had a large paper unfurled infront of them as they discussed party plans for Opie's birthday. Jax and Opie were in the garage, elbow deep in a Buick engine. Most of the club were coming and going from the clubhouse. And croweaters and garage customers were milling about as the work day was winding down. Joey pulled into the lot just in front of the TM tow truck as Chibs and their new prospect returned with a van hooked up. Joey parked and skipped towards Izzy and Auggie.

  
"How goes it, party people?" She asked brightly, leaning on the open tailgate.

  
"Fine." Auggie smiled. "Just putting the final touches on the party plan."

  
"Awesome!" She hopped onto the open tailgate and leaned into Izzy. "I still can't believe you finally got his crow." She said, moving the strap of Izzy's tanktop aside to get a better view of the large piece. Izzy ran her fingers across it, glad it was finally fully healed.

  
"I forgot I had it for a minute. This morning was the first day it wasn't itching anymore. Then, I walked into the bathroom and saw it in the mirror and was like 'whoa, I have that'." The three young adults giggled and turned their attention back to the papers.

  
Before the trio could get any deeper into the conversation, they heard a frantic cussing followed by a loud blast that shook the ground. Everyone covered themselves on instinct as van parts rained down. They could feel the heat from the fireball that billowed and rose from the destroyed van. After the flames died down and the sounds of metal and plastic bits hiding the ground stopped, there was a screech of horror. Everyone looked to see someone laying on the concrete in the middle of the lot.

  
"DAD!!" Izzy yelled as she threw herself off Unser's pickup and raced to Chibs splayed on the ground, out cold. She dropped to her knees beside him as blood pooled around his head and he lay motionless. Others had surrounded the pair, some dropping to the ground as well to check on the Scotsman. Joey was across from Izzy and checking to make sure he was alive. "Is-"

  
"He's alive." She said quickly to her best friend before the question could be formed.

  
The two young women kept watch over Chibs while Tig, Jax, and Opie worked to keep the crowd back. Someone had called for an ambulance seconds after the screams had started and when it arrived, Piney's booming voice demanded the onlookers make a path for the Paramedics to bring the gurney and start working. Cops had also arrived and took over crowd control. Joey easily stood and backed away when Jax gently helped her up but Isabelle didn't want to move. Opie had to pick her up, kicking and screaming, and haul her towards the TM office where they weren't surrounded by gawkers. He put her on her feet but kept a tight hold around her waist as she still fought to return to her father's side.

  
"Let them do their job." Opie urged as gently as he could.

  
"No, I have to- I have to be with him. Please!" Izzy plead with her boyfriend through tears and strangled sobs.

  
"I know, baby." He soothed, stroking her hair. "I know. But, they need space to get him stable so they can take him to the hospital."

  
"He needs me." She blubbered, vision blurred by a wall of tears. Opie managed to turn her to face him and wrapped his arms securely around her. He shushed her softly and kissed the top of her head before resting his cheek there. He rocked their bodies slightly, hoping the motion would help calm his frantic girlfriend. He couldn't blame her for acting as she was but it wouldn't do Chibs any good for her to be hovering over the paramedics.

  
Within minutes, Chibs was being wheeled into the back of the ambulance and Opie stopped trying to hold Izzy back. He let her run to the medics and join the young one in the back of the vehicle before the doors shut. Joey and Gemma were rushing to Joey's car seconds after to follow as quickly as they could. The guys were being forced to stay behind while the sheriff asked them a dozen questions he knew damn well they weren't going to answer truthfully.

  
By the time the Sons were able to check on Chibs at the hospital, visiting hours were almost up. They found Gemma and Joey in the waiting room. Clay hugged his wife before sighing.

  
"How's he doin'?" He asked as the guys gathered around the two women. Gemma took a steadying breath.

  
"Landed on his head. Suffered some swelling on his brain. Doc says next couple days are critical. If the swelling doesn't go down, they gotta relieve the pressure."

  
"The fuck does that mean?" Tig growled.

  
"Cut a part of his skull open." Gemma cringed at her own words. The guys all looked even more distraught by the news. "They're keeping him asleep for now, don't want him moving around too much. They'll ease him out of it tomorrow, see how he does."

  
"Where's Iz?" Opie asked quietly as he looked around. Joey caught his eye.

  
"She's in with him. Refuses to leave his side. Some bitch nurse- new hire- almost got knocked out when she tried to insist Izzy leave until my mom stepped in. No one questions the head nurse. She reassigned that one to another room to keep her clear from Izzy. She'll keep an eye on her. She's working a forty-eight so she'll be here for the most critical point."

  
"Thank your mom for us, kid." Clay requested. Joey nodded before the guys and Gemma decided to head home since they weren't going to be able to see Chibs. Opie hung back with Joey and waited until the others rounded the corner at the end of the hallway before turning to his friend.

  
"How is she?" He asked in a hushed voice.

  
"Not good. Aside from when she told the nurse to back off, she hasn't taken her eyes off him. She stopped crying an hour ago but I think that has more to do with running out of tears. Last I saw, she was curled up in a chair by his bedside, holding his hand." She answered sadly.

  
"Can I see her?" He was hopeful but frowned when Joey shook her head.

  
"Mom said visiting hours are over. She won't even let me in. But I'll tell her to let Izzy know you checked up on her. You should head home, Op. Nothing we can do now but wait." She pat his arm as a means to try and comfort him. Opie sighed but nodded before hugging her and heading out. Joey checked to make sure no one was at the nurse's station before slinking down the hallway to the room her best friend's dad was in. She peered through the little square window in the door. It seemed Izzy had finally fallen asleep. Probably passed out from emotional exhaustion. Her body was curled up in the wide chair like a cat or dog would be. Her head rest on Chibs' thigh, her face turned up towards him. Her hands clasped one of his, cradling it close to her chest like she used to cuddle her favorite stuffed animals when she was little. Joey's heart broke for her best friend and hoped Chibs would pull through. Just as she was about to grab the handle and open the door, her mother appeared as if coming from the shadows.

  
Claire Rylin marched towards her daughter in her royal purple scrubs. She sighed with a soft smile, shaking her head at Joey not doing what she was told. As usual. Atleast it was with good intentions. She glanced through the little window before looking down at her daughter and resting a hand on her shoulder.

  
"I'll take care of them, sweetheart." She promised softly in her deep, southern drawl. "Go home and rest. You'll be no use to Isabelle otherwise. She needs ya recharged." She pulled Joey in for a hug before shooing her away. Once the young woman was out of sight, Claire quietly went into the ICU room and checked Chibs' charts and monitors. As she pushed a syringe of meds through his IV drip, Izzy woke up.

  
"Was'at?" She mumbled, barely coherent.

  
"Something to help with his pain." Claire explained softly. "You should try to lay over there," she pointed towards a small couch. "It's a futon. I can help you lay it flat." She smiled sadly at the insistent shake of the young woman's head.

  
"No. No, thank you. I'm staying right here. I want to be the first face he sees when he wakes up." She chokes out. Claire backs off and finishes her checks and monitoring in quiet while watching Isabelle out of the corner of her eye. Izzy pulled her father's kutte off the back of her chair and draped it over her shoulders- inhaling the familiar scent of sweet tobacco, whiskey, and woodsy cologne- before resuming her original sleeping position. Claire's heart broke as she watched the woman. She suddenly looked so small and young, like she was seven again, holding her daddy's hand in hers and playing with his fingers.

  
Izzy ran her thumb over each tan line where his rings usually were. All of his jewelry was in a small plastic bag in a dish on the side table. She huffed a little laugh thinking about how, if he was awake, he'd grumble about being naked without his rings and necklaces. Izzy reached into the bag and pulled out his rose gold and onyx rosary. She looped it around his wrist a few times before pressing the crucifix to his palm and closing his fist around it. She took out his redwood mala beads and wrapped them around her own wrist some and left half the necklace to fidget with before laying her head back on his leg and whispered a prayer in Gaelic. She didn't speak the language much- mostly just i love you's and swearing- but Chibs spent countless hours teaching it to her as a child when he could've been at SAMCRO parties drinking and doing some explicit activities. She promised his lessons wouldn't go to waste. So she prayed to his God and any deity willing to listen and she used his second language in hopes of bolstering her pleas.

  
*****

After two days, Claire wasn't surprised to find the Telford pair in the same position she always saw them in. Chibs was on his back, head of the hospital bed elevated to not even a forty-five degree angle, asleep- though they had slowly weaned him off the drugs that kept him in a medically induced coma- and Izzy in what had to be a cramped and uncomfortable position balled up in the chair beside him with her head on his thigh. If the nurse didn't know any better, she would've thought the young woman hadn't moved from that spot in forty-eight hours. But she did know better because on several occasions, she forced Izzy to get up, stretch, take a walk to the cafeteria for something to eat or to go outside for some fresh air. When the stubborn girl would refuse, Claire used excuses that were sure to make her leave the room. Her favorites were having to check the catheter he had or they were going to give him a bed bath. Izzy was still in such a distressed state she never stopped to question why Chibs would need three bed baths in one day, she just heed her best friend's mom's advice and would leave, promising to return within ten minutes. She never strayed far.

  
Claire gave Joey updates as best she could. As a professional, she didn't want to violate patient's rights and talk about his medical condition with someone who wasn't immediate family, but as a decent human being, she knew her daughter was worried about the man and her best friend. Thankfully, Izzy was the power of attorney and insisted Claire tell Joey whatever she wanted to know so Joey could inform Gemma and the Sons. Izzy didn't want to see anyone while she sat at her father's bedside. She was determined to be the first face he saw when he woke up and having to interact with the others would pull her attention.

  
On the morning of what would be Chibs' third day in hospital, the "coma meds"- as Izzy called them- had finally worked out of his system. Just after what would've been breakfast time, Chibs became aware of two things: an incessant beeping noise and the absolute worst headache he's ever felt. After getting over the initial shock of pain, he recognized the beep as a heart monitor and memories of the explosion flood his mind. He groaned softly and cracked one eye open, testing the light. He was thankful for the overly bright lights of his room to be off and the roller blinds to the two huge windows were rolled down a few inches shy of closed casting the room in soft light. Once he managed to fully open his eyes, the rest of his senses and body woke up. He went to rub his face when he realized he couldn't move his one hand. And there was a heaviness resting on one of his legs. He looked for the source of these things and felt his heart skip.

  
"Oh, m'wee bug." He sighed softly, taking in his daughter's balled up position. One hand gripped his and she was sound asleep using his thigh as a pillow. He gave a sad smile as he felt horrible for the fact she had undoubtedly been distraught for however long he'd been out cold but he also felt a swell of happiness at her absolute love for him that she clearly hadn't left the hospital this whole time. He carefully dislodged his hand from hers and raised his arm, flexing his stiff elbow and realized his rosary was wrapped around his wrist and hand. He shook it free so he could gently- and painfully- get it back where it belonged around his neck. He tried to reach for his daughter but hissed in pain when he tried to lift his head from the pillow. He pushed a button on his bed rail and raised himself up into a more seated position, amused and concerned that Izzy didn't wake up from the grinding sound or movement. The new angle allowed him to reach her so he softly stroked her hair and watched the corner of her lips twitch up into a grin.

  
Isabelle felt something brush her head. She blinked one eye a couple times, looking around the room. Her eyes snapped open when she saw her father smiling down at her.

  
"Dad!" She gasped, relief flooding her at seeing him awake. She quickly stood from the chair- his kutte falling from her shoulders and rumpling in the seat- and moved closer, resting a hand on his shoulder as they gripped a hand tightly.

  
"Mo chridhe." He chuckled, the childlike excitement on his young adult daughter's face making him feel beyond loved. "How long 'ave I been ou'?"

  
"Couple days." Izzy sighed, moving her hand from his shoulder to sweep some unkempt locks out of his face. "Scared the shit outta me." She said softly.

  
"I know, bug." He cringed at the rasp in his voice, his throat dry and scratchy from lack of use. Izzy pulled her hand free from his to grab the large pitcher on the bedside table and poured some water into a small plastic cup. Chibs took it gratefully and chugged the cool water down in two gulps. He cleared his throat and sighed with relief. "Shite, tha's better." Izzy took the little cup and tossed it in the garbage bin. Before either could say anything else, Claire entered the room.

  
"Ah, Filip! You're awake." She cheered with a friendly smile. Chibs recognized her thankfully.

  
"Claire." He greet. "Yer my nurse?"

  
"Indeed. Only the very best for you." She teased as she went about checking his vitals and the bandages wrapped around his head. She smiled wider seeing how happy Izzy was now that Chibs was awake. "Speaking of the best," she began with a wink to Izzy, "you've got yourself the best daughter with Izzy here. Only left your bedside when I'd force her to go to the cafeteria or take a moment to make sure she was taking care of her own needs. Wouldn't even sleep on the futon over there." She giggled lightly watching Izzy's face turn fifty shades of red.

  
"Tha' so?" Chibs asked in amusement. He wasn't totally shocked she'd stayed by his bed.

  
"Said she wanted to be the first face you saw when you woke up." The nurse explained with a sparkle of mischief in her eyes. "Seems she got her wish." Chibs felt his heart melt as he summoned Izzy closer so he could take her hand again.

  
"Aye, tha' she did. Couldn' ask fer a better sigh' ta see afta starin' at the insides o' me eyelids fer so long."

  
"Shut up, ya teddy bear." Izzy grumbled trying miserably to display her annoyance and inside settling for hiding a grin.

  
"I love ya, bug." Chibs said, tugging her hand so she'd look at him and know how much he meant it.

  
"Love you, too, Dad." She replied in a little voice, feeling overwhelmed with a whirlwind of emotions from the events of the last few days.

  
"Well," Claire said, a little sad to have to interrupt such a heartwarming scene. "Your vitals look pretty good. I'll send the doctor in shortly so he can explain what happened to you and how to get better."

  
"Thank ya, Claire." Chibs said sincerely. She recognized he wasn't just thanking her like a patient thanks a nurse for checking in, he was thanking her for helping Isabelle. She nod as she reached the door.

  
"You don't have to thank me. I'm just doing my job." Something about the way she smiled softly at him made Chibs feel strange in a good way. Chibs smiled back, watching the middle-aged woman's cheeks tint pink before she turned to leave and get his doctor. He watched the door shut behind her before looking at his daughter.

  
"Wha'?" He asked as he saw her staring at her curiously.

  
"The fuck was that?" Izzy gaped, eyes darting between her dad and the door. Chibs shrugged choosing to remain silent on the matter. He wasn't sure what it was either.

  
"Gotta call Clay. Let 'im know I'm awake. Find ou' who did this."

  
"Clay can wait." Izzy snapped. She bit her tongue and composed herself. "Dad, you just woke up. I'll call Uncle Tig after the doc talks to you, give him the update." Chibs agreed with a nod seeing his daughter's pleading eyes. He realized she wanted some time with him before his club brothers knew he was awake and swarmed his hospital room.

  
"Alrigh', bug." He said warmly before motioning for her. He gingerly scoot himself over and raised his arm up with a small smile. Izzy curled into her father's side and laid her head on his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her. He kissed the top of her head and sighed, happy to be alive.


	15. We Need a Vacation

Almost a week later, Izzy was slouched in her usual chair with her feet propped on the hospital bed crossed at the ankles. Chibs was sitting up now and his doctor was thinking he would be able to go home tomorrow. The last few days had been nonstop visits from SAMCRO and it all seemed a bit much for the man. Izzy had advised the guys leave him be today unless it was absolutely important. They'd learned the bomb was planted by an outside source, paid for by the Nords as a push for getting drugs into Charming they assumed. Clay said they'd handle it and instructed Chibs not to worry and just get better. With that knowledge, Izzy was trying to convince her father on taking it easy for a bit once he was released instead of jumping back into the fray too soon.

  
"Come on!" Isabelle urged. "It'd be like old times!" Chibs lightly shook his head.

  
"Old times woul' be on my bike. Doc says I can' ride fer two weeks. I'm no' ridin' in tha' cage o' yers." He told her defiantly.

  
"You bought me 'tha' cage'!" Izzy point out in exasperation. "You know damn well Sheldon drives like a dream." She accused, referring to it by the silly name she gave the gorgeous car. He hated when people named their cages.

  
"Ugh! Stop callin' it tha'!" He whined. Izzy chuckled.

  
"Okay, name aside, you know the ride is comfortable. And we haven't had a weekend away in forever. And I don't just mean to Piney's cabin. I mean, AWAY. Like Air B'N'B or some shit. We need it. You need it. You were blown up, you deserve it." Chibs huffed realizing he wasn't going to talk Izzy out of the idea. Truth be told, he'd love the chance to get away for a bit.

  
"Fine. I'll talk ta Clay, see if I can get some time away."

  
"You'll _tell_ Clay." She insist strongly. "He's a horrible person if he says no and makes you go back to work in the garage too soon or back to your arms deals and shit." Chibs snickered, moving his leg to push her feet off his bed. They dropped with a thump and she stuck her tongue out at him.

That afternoon, Izzy was dozing in and out in the chair while Chibs was watching trash daytime TV and poking at the questionable hospital lunch he was given. Just as he was considering waking Izzy to send her for a greasy bacon double cheeseburger and onion rings from the diner, there was a soft knock on his room door. It opened a moment later and his jaw dropped at the sight of his ex-wife in the doorway. She was wrapped in a fatigue green coat fashioned after an army jacket with a grey silk scarf around her neck, dark blue jeans and sandy brown boots. Her dark curly hair was wrapped into a tight top knot. She smiled softly at her ex-husband and stepped into the room, pushing the door shut quietly behind her. Her eyes dart to the young woman slumped in the chair by the bed and recognized her from the pictures Filip had sent.

  
"Fi." Chibs gasped in shock.

  
"Hello, Filip." She spoke low as to not wake Izzy as she moved towards the bed. "We heard wha' happen. Poor Kerri is worried sick." She leaned down and kissed his cheek. "From Kerri." She explained as she straightened up. She nod her head towards Izzy. "Isabelle?" She asked, though she knew she didn't have to.

  
"Aye." Chibs smiled, looking towards the sleeping woman. "Our secon' daugh'er." He teased earning a soft giggle from his ex wife. "Did'ya ge' my letters?"

  
"Aye, we did. Father Ashby is still gettin' 'em at St. Matt's an' Maureen gives 'em ta Trinity. Trin gets 'em ta Kerri at Uni, jus' looks like two frien's sharin' notes on schoolwork. She looks so much like her photo. 'Cept she seems more worn down." She frowned a little. "Prolly from worryin' abou' her Da."

  
"Well, I did jus' get blown up." Chibs replied sarcastically. "She been 'ere the whole time. Can barely ge' her ta take a lap outside fer some fresh air. She only leaves at Claire's command."

  
"Who's Claire?" Fiona asked, trying to mask a swell of jealousy she hadn't expected.

  
"Oh, me nurse." He explained then realized it still didn't sound appropriate. "An' her best frien's Ma." He said, motioning to his daughter.

  
"Oh! Okay." The Irishwoman nod in understanding. "It's... Joey, righ'?" She asked, trying to remember the name mentioned in some of his letters over the years.

  
"Aye. Josephine. She's a good one. Practically my t'ird daugh'er." He joked with a warm smile and a chuckle. Fiona laughed lightly before a mild awkward silence filled the space between them.

  
"So, how's yer head?"

  
"Still hard." Chibs lightly rapped his knuckles on his forehead and Fiona rolled her eyes. "Jus' a dull pain where I landed. Stitches itch like a motherfucker. Bu' I should be goin' home tomorr'a."

  
"Tha's good." Fiona said as she looked at the floor and picked her nails in a nervous way.

  
"So where is he?" Chibs queried.

  
"Wha'?" Fi's head snapped up. Chibs gave her a knowing look. "At the stash house. I promise he won' come 'ere. Can' promise ya won' see 'im elsewhere. He wan's ta discuss business wit' the club an' Cammy Hayes." Chibs let out a heavy sigh and lay his head back. His eyes turned towards Isabelle.

  
"Ye haven' told him abou' her, righ'?" He asked, not looking at Fiona.

  
"God, no. Filip, I won' say a word."

  
Izzy woke up from her restless nap to hear whispering in the room. She slowly cracked one eye open and looked around. She saw her father and a mildly familiar face. After a few quiet moments of watching them, the sudden urge to sneeze overpowered her want to remain a silent spy and she sat up quickly, turning her head into her elbow to cover herself.

  
"Bless ye." Chibs said with a giggle as Izzy composed herself.

  
"Thanks." She grumbled before looking to the woman on the other side of his bed. "Hi, Mom." She teased.

  
"How are ye, hen?" Fiona asked with a soft smile. Izzy shrugged.

  
"Better than him." She point to her father who stuck his tongue out at her.

  
*****

Tig snapped his burner shut and squeezed his eyes shut, thumping the phone against his forehead as he looked across the main room to the chapel room where Clay was sitting at the table with Bobby discussing club finances.

  
"Sup, Pop?" August asked as he rounded the corner from the dorms and saw the concern on his dad's face.

  
"Izzy called."

  
"Something wrong with Chibs?" The young man asked with worry.

  
"No, no. Chibs is good." Tig assured. "But Fiona was there." He gave his son a pointed look and waited for the recognition to hit. It didn't take long.

  
"Oh shit." Auggie looked over his shoulder towards Clay. "Good luck, Pop." He teased as he made a hasty retreat.

  
"Yeah, fuck you, too, Aug." Tig grumbled jokingly. He took a deep breath and marched towards Chapel. He knocked on the open door frame. "Hey, boss." He interrupted cautiously.

  
"What's up, Tiggy?" Clay asked, leaning back in his seat at the head of the table. Tig stepped in and gripped the back of the nearest chair.

  
"Izzy just called. Fiona was at the hospital to see Chibs."

  
"What?"

  
"That ain't good." Bobby graveled slamming the fat financial ledger shut.

  
"Where's Jimmy O?" Clay asked.

  
"In the area. We can expect a call sometime soon I'd bet." The three men stewed in contemplative silence for a minute before Bobby snapped his fingers, an idea sparking.

  
"We should keep Chibs far from this. Recovering from a head injury, he doesn't need to be dealing with Jimmy. Wouldn't do well for his healing."

  
"Chibs talked about takin' Izzy outta town for a bit. Father/daughter time." Tig mentioned. "Kill two birds. They get their time, we keep Chibs clear of Jimmy."

  
"And the Nords." Bobby added. "We told him we'd take care of retaliation. Send him on a little retreat, he's not around when we do it. Perfect alibi. Keeps the sheriff off his back atleast." The two Sons watched their president clench and unclench his fists a few times before he huffed.

"Fine. Call the girl back, set it up." He grumbled. He would've loved to have been able to deny the excursion but his Sargeant and Treasurer made valid points. If he refused, they would've asked questions. "Get Auggie to dig into this bomb guy the Nords hired. Jax had an idea for payback that requires him."


End file.
